Football PIX: Barcelona’s smashing comeback; Juventus lose

Barcelona claim late comeback win at Atletico Madrid

IMAGE: Lamine Yamal, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring Barcelona’s third goal against Atletico Madrid at Metropolitano, Madrid, on Sunday. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters

Barcelona’s Ferran Torres scored twice to help secure a late 4-2 comeback win at Atletico Madrid in a pulsating LaLiga clash on Sunday that took the Catalans back to the top of the table.

Barca have 60 points and a game in hand after last week’s postponement of their home game with Osasuna. They are level on points with Real Madrid, who won 2-1 at Villarreal on Saturday.

“I am happy and proud of this team,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick told a press conference. “They never give up… It’s a great three points and we are happy to be top.”

Atletico remain third on 56 points from 28 games.

The hosts took the lead on the stroke of halftime through Julian Alvarez after Antoine Griezmann broke quickly and found Giuliano Simeone, who curled a precise pass for the Argentine to score his 11th league goal of the season.

Diego Simeone’s side doubled their lead in the 70th minute through substitute Alexander Sorloth’s brilliant close-range finish after he was set up by Conor Gallagher.

IMAGE: Ferran Torres scores Barcelona’s fourth goal. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters

However, Barcelona responded almost immediately when Robert Lewandowski latched on to Inigo Martinez’s cross to take the Poland striker’s tally to a league-leading 22 goals this season.

The visitors equalised in the 78th minute when Torres headed home a delightful ball into the box from substitute Raphinha.

Lamine Yamal added a third in stoppage time when his long-range strike found the back of Jan Oblak’s net, before Torres put the icing on the cake with his second of the night.

“It was very important to get the three points today,” said Yamal. “At the end of the anger, of the impotence of seeing that we weren’t comfortable, we showed our best side, we gave the best we had.

“It was clear to me that if I scored it would be in important games. Since the ball was on the other side of the pitch I could see Gallagher was moving away from me and as soon as it came to me I saw the opportunity and I saw the shot.”

The teams will meet again in the Copa del Rey semi-finals after the first leg ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw, with the return taking place at the Metropolitano on April 2.

Juventus suffer heavy defeat at Fiorentina

IMAGE: Fiorentina’s Robin Gosens celebrates after winning the match against Juventus at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence. Photograph: Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters

Juventus were roundly beaten 3-0 at Fiorentina in their Serie A clash on Sunday, heaping further pressure on under-fire manager Thiago Motta after a second successive heavy defeat.

Juve have never featured in this season’s title race and were knocked out of the Champions League by PSV Eindhoven last month followed by a Coppa Italia exit to Empoli.

Juventus are fifth with 52 points, one point behind fourth-placed Bologna, who leapfrogged Motta’s side with a 5-0 thumping of visitors Lazio earlier on Sunday. Fiorentina’s win lifts them one point ahead of AC Milan into eighth spot on 48 points.

Juve, after a 4-0 hammering by Atalanta last weekend, were two goals down early on in Florence to a Fiorentina side which had suffered four defeats in their last five league games.

The home side’s Robin Gosens had his initial header from a corner blocked by Juventus defender Renato Veiga but when the ball came back to him his rifled shot was deflected off Khephren Thuram before nestling in the net for a 15th-minute lead.

Three minutes later, Nicolo Fagioli, on loan at Fiorentina from Juve since last month, played a through ball into Rolando Mandragora who shot first time from outside the area low into the far corner.

IMAGE: Fiorentina’s Moise Kean tries to find his way past Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio. Photograph: Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters

It was a first half light on chances, with Fiorentina finding the net with their two efforts on target while Juventus failed to test home goalkeeper David de Gea.

Juve began on the attack after the break but a weak header by Veiga was easily gathered by De Gea and the visitors were further behind eight minutes into the second half.

Albert Gudmundsson collected a pass from Fagioli and had plenty of space and time to take the ball forward before drilling his shot from outside the box into the bottom corner.

Ex-Juventus forward Moise Kean had the ball in the net minutes later, but his goal was ruled out for offside as Fiorentina threatened to run riot against a toothless Juve.

The home fans were in fine voice with victory assured against their biggest rivals, and there were ironic chants of ‘Where is Dusan?’ after Fiorentina’s former striker Dusan Vlahovic remained on the Juventus bench.

Juve also lost the Italian Super Cup semi-final in January and face a battle to qualify for the Champions League, the only objective left in a disappointing first season under Motta.

Inter extend lead at the top with win at Atalanta

IMAGE: Lautaro Martinez scores Inter Milan’s second goal against Atalanta at Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo. Photograph: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters

Inter Milan extended their lead atop Serie A to three points with a 2-0 win at third-placed title rivals Atalanta thanks to goals from Carlos Augusto and Lautaro Martinez on Sunday in a hard-fought clash that saw both sides finish with 10 men.

Inter moved to 64 points, ahead of Napoli who have 61 after their 0-0 draw at second-from-bottom Venezia earlier on Sunday, while Atalanta remain on 58 points.

The hosts were under pressure early on, with Inter’s Marcus Thuram hitting the upright with just goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi to beat as the visitors began on the front foot.

Atalanta found their way into the game and Inter keeper Yann Sommer had to be at full stretch to tip a Mario Pasalic header over the bar and Ederson fired wide from distance.

Before the break Ademola Lookman decided to go it alone for Atalanta but put his shot well wide of the target and the opening half ended goalless.

There was a break in play shortly after the interval with Inter about to take a corner. Hakan Calhanoglu’s attention was attracted to medical problems for a fan in the away sector before the visitors took the lead when the action resumed.

Calhanoglu whipped the ball into the six-yard box and Carlos rose unmarked to head into the bottom corner, leaving Atalanta’s Carnesecchi rooted to the spot and Inter ahead in the 54th minute.

IMAGE: Carlos Augusto celebrates scoring Inter Milan’s first goal with teammate Alessandro Bastoni. Photograph: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters

With the visitors failing to find a second goal, Atalanta always posed a threat but their chances received a hammer blow nine minutes from time when Ederson received two yellow cards in quick succession.

The Brazilian midfielder was booked for dissent and after he sarcastically applauded that decision the referee had no option but to send Ederson off.

Inter put the result beyond doubt with three minutes remaining after Martinez timed his run to perfection to get on the end of Nicolo Barella’s pass before shooting past Carnesecchi from a wide angle just outside the six-yard box.

Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini was then given his marching orders and Inter should have had a third goal but substitute Davide Frattesi, one-on-one with the keeper, put his shot straight at Carnesecchi.

Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni picked up a needless second yellow card in added time but the result was never in doubt as Inter brought an end to Atalanta’s seven-game unbeaten league run and gave their own title hopes a massive boost.

Leverkusen grab last-gasp win to keep title race alive

IMAGE: Bayer Leverkusen’s players celebrate a goal against VfB Stuttgart. Photograph: Bayer Leverkusen/X

Reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen came from two goals down to snatch a 4-3 win at VfB Stuttgart with two late goals on Sunday and snap a three-game losing run in all competitions as they cut Bayern Munich’s lead atop the Bundesliga to six points.

Patrik Schick headed the winner deep into second-half stoppage time to give the visitors the points after they had drawn level minutes earlier courtesy of Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller’s 88th-minute own goal.

Five days after their Champions League Round of 16 exit to Bayern following defeats in both legs, Leverkusen bounced back from last week’s 2-0 home defeat by Werder Bremen.

The result lifted Leverkusen to 56 points in second place, cutting Bayern’s lead after their 1-1 draw at Union Berlin on Saturday as the teams went into the international break.

“The late goal was a magic moment for us and the celebrations were very emotional,” Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said. “Compliments to my players who never gave up. We had the will until the very end to get those three points.

“Stuttgart played a very strong game. This win is very good for us after the defeat this week in the Champions League.”Leverkusen are also through to the German Cup last four where they face third-tier Arminia Bielefeld next month.

Ermedin Demirovic put Stuttgart ahead in the 15th minute before the unmarked Nick Woltemade slotted home to complete a quick break and make it 2-0 three minutes after halftime.

Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong cut the deficit in the 56th after Stuttgart repeatedly failed to clear the ball.

However, the hosts restored their two-goal lead in the 62nd minute when goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky saved a Demirovic shot but the ball bounced off Granit Xhaka for an own goal.

Six minutes later it was Leverkusen’s turn to score with Piero Hincapie drilling in a shot to give them renewed hope.

Amine Adli came agonisingly close to an equaliser in the 82nd but his effort just missed before Stiller’s own goal.

Schick completed Leverkusen’s pulsating late comeback in stoppage time to keep them firmly in the title race.