Sports

European football: Milan stun Inter as Gallagher scores again for Atlético


Matteo Gabbia ended Milan’s derby drought as his late header earned a dramatic 2-1 victory against Inter to ease the pressure on their manager Paulo Fonseca.

The defender’s 89th-minute goal restored the lead given to Milan by Christian Pulisic before Federico Dimarco’s first-half equaliser and ended a run of six successive defeats by the Rossoneri’s arch-rivals.

Milan started positively and Inter keeper Yann Sommer had to tip over Álvaro Morata’s early effort before Pulisic threatened to carve his way through the home defence. However, the United States international did just that with 10 minutes gone, barging through the middle before beating Sommer to get his side off to a flying start.

Lautaro Martínez fired just over as the hosts attempted to respond, and the Argentina international played a key role as Inter forced their way back on to level terms with 27 minutes gone. Martínez accepted Dimarco’s pass and then returned the ball to allow the wing-back to drill a low shot past Mike Maignan.

The referee Maurizio Mariani pointed to the spot in Milan’s favour after the ball hit Martínez’s shoulder, but he changed his decision after being asked to review it.

Martínez volleyed straight at Maignan and Sommer denied Rafa Leão after a pacy counterattack with the game in the balance, but Abraham fired wastefully wide when presented with the chance to win it 12 minutes from time. But Gabbia was not so profligate when his big opportunity arrived, powering home a header from Tijjani Reijnders’ free-kick to snatch victory.

Fiorentina were indebted to two penalties from Albert Gudmundsson, which earned them a 2-1 win at home against Lazio. Mario Gila gave the Rome side the lead but Gudmundsson scored his first after 49 minutes. Fiorentina were awarded another spot-kick in the 90th minute, which the Icelander coolly slotted home.

In La Liga, Atlético Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw at city rivals Rayo Vallecano on Sunday after Conor Gallagher cancelled out Isi Palazón’s opener for the hosts. Palazón put Rayo ahead in the 35th minute off a fine pass from Andrei Ratiu after a quick breakaway, with the goal disallowed for offside but awarded after a VAR review. Gallagher equalised four minutes after the break, following brilliant play from Alexander Sørloth for his second league goal of the season.

Conor Gallagher celebrates scoring against Rayo Vallecano. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters

The forwards Robert both scored twice to help Barcelona thrash their hosts Villarreal 5-1 as the visitors maintained their perfect start with a sixth consecutive victory.

Lewandowski found the net twice inside 35 minutes before Villarreal pulled a quick one back through Ayoze Pérez, but Pablo Torre made it 3-1 after the break and Raphinha completed the rout for Barca with two goals late in the second half. Barcelona lost their goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen just before half-time after the German keeper fell and was visibly in pain as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

Barcelona remain top of the table on 18 points as they preserved a four-point lead over defending champions Real Madrid in second.

Athletic Bilbao moved up to third with a 3-1 win at home to Celta Vigo, thanks to two goals from Gorka Guruzeta. After his first goal, Vigo equalised through Iago Aspas, but Guruzeta restored the lead six minutes before half-time. Álvaro Djaló made sure of the points 10 minutes from time.

Raphinha celebrates scoring his second goal, Barça’s fifth. Photograph: Pablo Morano/Reuters

In Germany, Bayer Leverkusen pulled off a stunning comeback against Wolfsburg when they twice fought back from a goal down with Victor Boniface scoring the decisive goal in the 93rd minute, giving them a 4-3 home win on Sunday.

The champions suffered a nightmare start as Nordi Mukiele scored an own goal in the fourth minute, but they levelled nine minutes later when Florian Wirtz struck from the edge of the box. Jonathan Tah scored their second with a cool header.

The lead was short-lived as the visitors equalised from a Sebastiaan Bornauw header before Mattias Svanberg went on a driving run in Leverkusen’s half and curled the ball past Lukas Hradecky on the stroke of half-time.

Piero Hincapié headed home in the 49th minute, before the substitute Boniface rifled home a loose ball in the penalty area for the winner. By then Wolfsburg were down to 10 men as Yannick Gerhardt was sent off in the 88th minute.

Deniz Undav scored a brace as a rampant Stuttgart put on a spectacular display to shock Borussia Dortmund 5-1 at home, handing Nuri Sahin’s side their first league defeat of the season.

Undav got Stuttgart off to a flying start inside five minutes at the MHP Arena when he found the left-back Maximilian Mittelstädt’s pass, stormed into the box and fired the ball into the far bottom corner.

Last season’s runners-up tore apart the stunned visitors’ defence, with Mittelstädt providing Ermedin Demirovic with a chipped cross to head home and double their lead in the 21st minute. The hosts piled on the pressure and carved out several chances, with the Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel making a stellar double save to deny Enzo Millot’s powerful volley from distance and Undav on the rebound.

But Mittelstädt’s short corner found Atakan Karazor, who headed it back across the goal for Millot to tap in from close range and make it 3-0 for Stuttgart in the 62nd minute.

Serhou Guirassy, a former Stuttgart player, reduced Dortmund’s deficit with a goal in the 72nd minute, but the substitute El Bilal Touré and Undav made matters worse as they added another goal each, making the final tally 5-1.



READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.