Napoli made to wait to wrap up Serie A title after being held by Salernitana

By Sports Desk April 30, 2023

Napoli failed to secure their first Serie A title since 1990 after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Salernitana.

Luciano Spalletti’s side were handed the chance to win the Scudetto with a record six games to go after Lazio’s 3-1 defeat at Inter Milan, where substitute Lautaro Martinez scored twice to help Inter come from behind with three goals in the last 13 minutes.

And they were on course for the win required when Mathias Olivera headed home a 62nd-minute corner, only for Boulaye Dia to equalise with a curling left-footed shot six minutes from time.

Napoli need just two points from their last six games to win the title and could be crowned champions before their next game at Udinese on Thursday if other results go their way.

Lazio remain second in the table after Juventus could only manage a 1-1 draw at Bologna in the day’s late game, while Fiorentina earlier thrashed bottom side Sampdoria 5-0.

Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain were booed off after suffering a 3-1 defeat at home to Lorient.

Enzo Le Fee put the visitors in front after 15 minutes and PSG were reduced to 10 men just five minutes later when Achraf Hakimi was sent off for two bookable offences.

Kylian Mbappe equalised in bizarre circumstances when Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo incorrectly thought a free-kick had been awarded and rolled the ball in front of him, allowing Mbappe to take a touch before scoring into an empty net.

The furious protests of Lorient’s players fell on deaf ears but they had the last laugh as Darlin Yongwa restored their lead shortly before half-time and Bamba Dieng scored a late third just minutes after having a goal ruled out by VAR for offside.

Marseille closed to within five points of PSG after coming from behind to beat Auxerre 2-1.

Birama Toure fired the visitors in front shortly after the half-hour mark, but Cengiz Under equalised on 75 minutes and Alexis Sanchez grabbed the winner just two minutes later.

Monaco’s hopes of Champions League qualification suffered a blow as they were thrashed 4-0 at home by Montpellier, Arnaud Nordin scoring twice for the visitors who are now 11 points clear of the relegation zone.

A 4-2 defeat at Rennes saw Angers relegated to Ligue 2 and Troyes look set to join them after a 1-0 home defeat to Nice left them 10 points from safety.

In Germany’s Bundesliga, Bayern Munich beat bottom side Hertha Berlin 2-0 to move top of the table.

Thomas Tuchel’s side took advantage of Borussia Dortmund being held to a 1-1 draw at Bochum on Friday, with Serge Gnabry opening the scoring on 69 minutes and Kingsley Coman doubling the home side’s lead 10 minutes later.

In the day’s other game, Jonas Wind scored twice as Wolfsburg beat Mainz 3-0, with all three goals coming in the first half an hour.

Atletico Madrid closed to within two points of second-placed Real Madrid in LaLiga courtesy of a 5-2 win at Real Valladolid.

The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead inside 38 minutes before being pegged back by a Cyle Larin penalty and Sergio Escudero’s 74th-minute strike, but an own goal from Joaquin Fernandez and Memphis Depay’s stoppage-time goal secured all three points.

Cadiz leapfrogged Valencia in the table with a 2-1 win over their fellow strugglers, but Getafe missed the chance to do likewise and get out of the relegation zone as they lost 1-0 at Espanyol.

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  • Barcelona boss Flick calls for LaLiga suspension after Spanish floods Barcelona boss Flick calls for LaLiga suspension after Spanish floods

    Barcelona are in high spirits ahead of Sunday's derby against Espanyol, though Hansi Flick does not think LaLiga matches should be played this weekend.

    Barca thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend to establish a six-point lead in LaLiga but their city rivals Espanyol are 20 points behind and languishing in 17th place, a point above the relegation zone.

    Yet Flick feels it is wrong that LaLiga is playing on in the wake of the flash floods that have devastated regions of eastern Spain, with Valencia particularly impacted.

    Madrid's game against Valencia was naturally postponed, but most other fixtures in Spain's top tier are going ahead.

    "If it were me, I might [suspend LaLiga] because it is an incredible tragedy for Valencia and Spain as a whole," Flick said.

    "We have spoken with Ferran [Torres] who is from the area, and it is not easy to decide whether the game should be played or not.

    "It is a tragedy. It was something similar in Germany three years ago, it is horrible. We will do everything we can to help. The rest is for LaLiga to decide." 

    Barca do hold a brilliant record against Espanyol, having not lost in their last 26 encounters with their city rivals.

    Flick, though, warned his side against any complacency.

    "I know what a Barca-Espanyol derby means. It will be a tough match, for sure. After a fantastic week, it is important to be at 100% tomorrow, with intensity and maximum quality," Flick said.

    "We always prepare well for the next game. After the celebrations, we focus on the next game. We work on what we want tomorrow. It's a very long game in the league and we focus on the next game."

    Barca have taken 30 points from their first 11 league matches this season, their second-highest tally at this stage of a campaign in the competition, after 31 points in the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2017-18 seasons.

  • Simeone: It makes no sense to play after Spanish floods Simeone: It makes no sense to play after Spanish floods

    Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is unhappy that most LaLiga matches will go ahead this weekend after catastrophic floods swept the eastern region of Spain.

    The deadliest flash floods in Spain's modern history have killed over 200 people and dozens were still unaccounted for, four days after torrential rains swept the region of Valencia.

    The tragedy is already Europe's worst flood-related disaster since 1967 when at least 500 people died in Portugal.

    Saturday's clash between Valencia and Real Madrid, as well as Villarreal against Rayo Vallecano, are among several games postponed over the weekend after the floods.

    "It doesn't make any sense," Simeone told reporters ahead of his side's home game against Las Palmas on Sunday.

    "What is happening is very hard; it is very moving to see the people who went out on the streets to help, who with a shovel and their tools are trying to collaborate and that speaks very well of the country, of the people, and we want to help wherever we can.

    "There are people having a very hard time, it's very sad and they tell us to continue and here we are, continuing."

    Last month, Las Palmas named former Espanyol boss Diego Martinez as their new coach, and while Simeone is not pleased that the game is going ahead, he is prepared for a tough encounter.

    "We have a tough game against a team that has improved a lot since the arrival of the coach," Simeone said.

    "They are more forceful and I imagine a dangerous game, with a lot of counter-attacking, fast people in attack and we will try to have a game with these situations under control and get it out with the help of our fans, which is always fundamental."

  • Arsenal deserved to lose against Newcastle, says Arteta Arsenal deserved to lose against Newcastle, says Arteta

    Mikel Arteta was left frustrated by Arsenal's performance in their 1-0 defeat away to Newcastle United on Saturday.

    The defeat left them third in the Premier League, though they could be up to eight points behind Manchester City by the end of the day.

    Arsenal had 63.9% possession and mustered more shots (10) and a higher expected goals total (1.11) than Newcastle, but could not find a leveller following Alexander Isak's early header.

    And Arteta was disappointed with how his side did the basics following what he thought was a good start.

    "We deserved to lose today. I thought we started really well and were really dominant. We didn't defend the box well enough," he told Premier League Productions.

    "Credit to them. They scored a great goal with a good ball.

    "Then the game changes and you start to play a different game. You have to adapt and we didn't do that well enough. I am very frustrated.

    "We got dragged into a game they are looking for constantly and we couldn't play the game that we wanted."

    Arsenal only managed one shot on target in the match, coming from a Mikel Merino effort that was cleared off the line in the first half. Declan Rice, meanwhile, put a close-range header wide in second-half stoppage time.

    "We had two big chances: Mikel had a big one, Declan had a big one. We lacked answers," said Arteta.

    Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, meanwhile, was delighted with the Magpies' performance as they sealed back-to-back victories following their win over Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

    "You have to be really strong mentality and know results will turn if you continue to do the right things," Howe told BBC Sport.

    "It has been a difficult week with the fixtures, but the players have done really well.

    "There was a better feeling in training after the Chelsea win, as if pressure lifted slightly.

    "Today's performance was built on hard work, desire and a lot of really good defending in the second half. I thought we looked good."

    Isak headed home from a pinpoint Anthony Gordon cross to tally up his third goal in three successive appearances in all competitions.

    "I wouldn't say it is a trademark goal for Alex but really pleased to see it. Anthony can give you that on his natural right-hand side and it was a great ball," said Howe.

    "It was always going to take a moment like that as it was a game of few chances."

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