European roundup: Bayern Munich held at home by Union Berlin

  • 4/10/2021
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Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich stumbled to a 1-1 draw at home against Union Berlin on Saturday after conceding an 86th-minute equaliser through Marcus Ingvartsen to see their lead at the top cut to five points with six games left. Teenager Jamal Musiala had put a second-string Bayern team ahead in the 68th minute, picking up a Thomas Müller pass and weaving past three players in the box before firing home. The Bavarians, missing nine players through injury or illness including top striker Robert Lewandowski and winger Serge Gnabry, dominated possession but let their guard down four minutes from time, allowing Ingvartsen to bundle in a cut-back. Bayern were far from their best with an unusual lineup that included Josip Stanisic, who was making his senior debut, and rarely threatened. They had endured a tumultuous week with their 3-2 home loss to Paris St Germain in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday amid growing speculation regarding the future of coach Hansi Flick at the club. Flick, a front-runner for the Germany job after the Euros, has had an uneasy relationship with Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic over squad planning and before the game repeatedly refused to answer questions regarding his future at Bayern. Bayern are now on 65 points, five ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig, who beat Werder Bremen 4-1 away. Eintracht Frankfurt tightened their hold on fourth place with a 4-3 home win over third-placed VfL Wolfsburg. Eintracht are on 53, a point behind the Wolve Jude Bellingham scored his first Bundesliga goal and teenager Ansgar Knauff fired in an 80th-minute winner for his first professional goal to give Borussia Dortmund a 3-2 victory at VfB Stuttgart. It was a memorable week for 19-year-old Knauff after he also earned his first start in Dortmund’s 2-1 Champions League quarter-final loss to Manchester City on Tuesday. Marco Reus scored Dortmund’s other goal. Kylian Mbappé completed a remarkable week, scoring one and setting up another to inspire Paris Saint-Germain to a 4-1 win at Racing Strasbourg as the French champions reduced Lille’s Ligue 1 lead to three points. The France striker, who netted a double in PSG’s 3-2 win at Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, opened the scoring with Pablo Sarabia, Moise Kean and Leandro Paredes also on the scoresheet to put the capital side on 66 points from 32 games. Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off for dissent as his side earned a 3-1 win at Parma in Serie A. Milan eased into a comfortable two-goal lead at the break thanks to goals from Ante Rebic in the eighth minute – a strike that was brilliantly set up by Ibrahimovic – and a fine Franck Kessié finish on the stroke of half-time. Milan’s task became much more difficult just before the hour mark, however, as out of the blue, Ibrahimovic was given a straight red card for something he said to the referee, much to the Swede’s bemusement. Riccardo Gagliolo got Parma back into the match six minutes later, but Rafael Leão added a late third for second-placed Milan as Stefano Pioli’s men closed the gap to Internazionale to eight points, with the league leaders facing Cagliari on Sunday. In La Liga, where most eyes were on el clásico, Eibar remain bottom after losing 1-0 at home to Levante.

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