A summary of Saturday’s action in LaLiga, Bundesliga and Serie A.
IMAGE: Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski celebrates after Leganes’s Jorge Saenz scores an own goal during the LaLiga match at Estadio Municipal de Butarque, Leganes, Spain, on Saturday. Photograph: Ana Beltran/Reuters
Barcelona extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to stubborn Leganes thanks to an own goal by defender Jorge Saenz on Saturday that took their unbeaten LaLiga run to 12 matches.
Hansi Flick’s side moved to 70 points above second-placed Real Madrid, who have 63 and visit Alaves on Sunday.
“For us today was a very difficult game but winning was very important. I am proud of what my team is doing in the last few weeks and months,” Barca boss Flick said.
“We need to work on our defence and attack. But we’ve got three points and that’s what’s important,” he added.
In a tense first half, the hosts could have taken the lead when Dani Raba’s pass found Adria Altimira in the box, but Barclona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was on hand to deny him.
Barca also threatened when Jules Kounde beat Saenz to the ball before firing wide.
The deadlock was finally broken after the break when Barca took the lead after Raphinha’s cross for Robert Lewandowski was inadvertently deflected into the net by Leganes defender Saenz.
IMAGE: Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal is checked by Leganes’s Javi Hernandez as he tries to break into the box. Photograph: Ana Beltran/Reuters
Lewandowski, chasing his 100th goal for the Catalans, later saw his header from another Raphinha’s centre go wide before he was replaced by Ferran Torres after 67 minutes.
The hosts looked to have levelled when Dani Raba headed home Adria Altimira’s cross but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Barcelona had a few more attempts, the clearest coming when Lamine Yamal combined with Torres but the former was unable to capitalise.
Leganes were desperate to get back into the game but the closest they came was a long-range effort from Diego Garcia that missed the target.
The relegation-threatened side remain second from bottom on 28 points, two points off the safety zone.
Barca, who are unbeaten in 24 games across all competitions, visit Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League quarter-final second leg on Tuesday having won the first game 4-0.
They will then host Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Saturday.
Bayern held by Dortmund in topsy-turvy Klassiker
IMAGE: Borussia Dortmund’s Emre Can in hot pursuit of Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane as he breaks through during the Bundesliga match at Allianz Arena, Munich. Photograph: Angelika Warmuth/Reuters
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund each scored twice in a rollercoaster second half for an entertaining 2-2 draw in the Klassiker on Saturday that kept the Bavarians six points clear at the top with five games left.
They have 69 points ahead of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who earlier drew 0-0 at home to Union Berlin.
Bayern, who visit Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-final return leg on Wednesday after last week’s 2-1 loss, had a slew of chances in a dominant first half.
Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was kept busy and he twice stopped Harry Kane and also blocked Michael Olise’s point-blank effort in the 40th minute.
Dortmund, who did not have an effort on target in the first half, silenced the home crowd three minutes after the restart when Maximilian Beier was left unmarked at the far post to head in the opener.
“Until the first goal … we created chances and the game was more or less positive for us,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany told a press conference.
“After the first goal it became a Cup game. I would buy a ticket to watch a game like this but as a coach you want a little bit more control.
“But we wanted to be six points ahead of Leverkusen at the end of the weekend and we have that.”
IMAGE: Maximilian Beier celebrates scoring Borussia Dortmund’s first goal with teammates. Photograph: Angelika Warmuth/Reuters
Bayern reacted almost instantly, pouring forward as the pace picked up, and almost equalised when Dortmund defender Waldemar Anton’s clearance flew over Kobel and bounced off the crossbar.
It took four minutes for Bayern to turn things around with Raphael Guerreiro levelling in the 65th with a low shot before fellow substitute Gnabry put them in front with a sensational 35-metre solo effort.
Dortmund, desperately hoping for a top-four and secure Champions League football next season, bounced back with Anton slotting home on the rebound in the 75th after Bayern keeper Jonas Urbig palmed Serhou Guirassy’s bicycle kick into his path.
Dortmund, who host Barcelona on Tuesday in their Champions League quarter-final second leg after a 4-0 loss on Wednesday, are in eighth place on 42 points, six points off the top four.
“We have a tough game on Tuesday,” said Dortmund coach Niko Kovac. “We know the situation. We want to win that game.
“(In the Bundesliga) I hope to continue this run (with two wins and a draw from the last three matches),” he said. “We still have points to earn.”
Inter consolidate top spot
IMAGE: Yann Bisseck celebrates scoring Inter Milan’s third goal with Lautaro Martinez. Photograph: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters
Inter Milan cruised to a 3-1 win at home to Cagliari thanks to goals from Marko Arnautovic, Lautaro Martinez and Yann Aurel Bisseck to keep their grip on top spot in Serie A on Saturday.
Inter are six points clear of second-placed Napoli, who host lowly Empoli on Monday, with six rounds to go.
Arnautovic put the hosts ahead after 13 minutes by blasting the ball home from close range.
Roberto Piccoli had the chance to pull Cagliari level when he found himself one-on-one with Inter keeper Yann Sommer. However, the Swiss shot-stopper reacted swiftly, parrying the effort away.
Seconds later, Martinez doubled Inter’s lead in the 26th minute, timing a perfectly weighted pass to break through the Cagliari defence before delicately chipping keeper Elia Caprile, who seemed to hesitate too long before rushing out.
Martinez could have made it a third goal before the break but his acrobatic bicycle attempt went just wide of the post.
Cagliari pulled one back three minutes into the second half when Piccoli was left unmarked and sent a header into the ground that bounced into the top left corner.
The visitors’ momentum was punctured in the 55th minute, however, when Inter’s Bisseck rose highest at a corner to head their third and effectively seal the match.
Piccoli came agonisingly close to pulling one back for the visitors late in the match, his close-range shot heading toward goal, only for Inter defender Stefan de Vrij to stretch his neck and deftly nod the ball over the bar.
Juventus earn home win against lowly Lecce
Juventus netted first-half goals through Teun Koopmeiners and Kenan Yildiz for a 2-1 home win over relegation-threatened Lecce in Serie A on Saturday to leave new coach Igor Tudor unbeaten.
Koopmeiners gave Juve the lead after two minutes and Yildiz capitalised on brilliant team play to double the advantage after the half-hour mark before Lecce pulled a goal back late on through Federico Baschirotto’s powerful header.
Juventus moved provisionally up to third on 59 points from 32 games. They are one point above fourth-placed Atalanta, who host Bologna, who are fifth with 57 points, on Sunday.
Juve, who were held to a 1-1 draw at AS Roma last weekend, beat Genoa 1-0 before that in their first game under Tudor.
The hosts were fully in control in the opening half on Saturday, creating 18 chances with five on target.
Koopmeiners set the tone with his early opener, scoring with a low strike inside the far post after Dusan Vlahovic released the Dutchman into the box with a neat pass.
Vlahovic and Renato Veiga had chances blocked in quick succession as Juve stormed Lecce’s goal before Yildiz made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute with an effort into the bottom corner.
The 19-year-old’s goal was also set up by Vlahovic.
The Serbia striker had an excellent opportunity to make it 3-0 after the break but Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone beat him to the ball before the forward could shoot from close range.
Juve took their foot off the gas after that and Lecce made it a nervy ending at the Allianz Stadium when Baschirotto nodded home in the 87th minute following a free kick.
Lecce, who extended their winless run to nine games, have 26 points and are two points above the relegation zone. Their last victory was a 3-1 success away to Parma at the end of January.
