European football: Lamine Yamal sends Barcelona clear, Dortmund close gap on Bayern

3 weeks ago 15

Barcelona outclassed Mallorca 3-0 at home on Saturday to increase their lead at the top of the LaLiga standings.

Hansi Flick’s side controlled possession from the start and Marcus Rashford fired narrowly wide before playing a key role in the opener, as Dani Olmo headed his blocked effort into the path of Robert Lewandowski, who finished calmly in the 29th minute.

Barcelona pushed on after half-time, with Marc Casado hitting the post and the pressure told in the 61st minute when 18-year-old Lamine Yamal struck a superb shot from distance to register his fifth goal in consecutive matches in all competitions.

Substitute Marc Bernal, also 18, completed the scoring with a fine solo run and low finish. Barcelona moved to 58 points, four clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who play Valencia on Sunday.

Striker Serhou Guirassy snatched the winner three minutes from time to earn second-placed Borussia Dortmund a 2-1 victory at VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday that cut Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga lead to three points.

Guirassy’s 10th league goal of the season came at the end of an intricate set of midfield passes as Dortmund advanced to 48 points from 21 games, three behind Bayern, who host third-placed Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Serhou Guirassy celebrates scoring their second goal with Felix Nmecha
Serhou Guirassy’s winner enabled Dortmund to close the gap on Bayern at the top. Photograph: Carmen Jaspersen/Reuters

Dortmund dominated the first half and deserved their 38th-minute lead through Julian Brandt, but Konstantinos Koulierakis’ 52nd-minute header put relegation-threatened Wolfsburg back in the contest and they squandered several good chances to take the lead.

Their profligacy was punished when Fabio Silva and Felix Nmecha played a one-two on the edge of the penalty area before Guirassy stole in from the left to finish with a right-footed shot.

In Saturday’s later games, third-placed Napoli have the chance to keep the pressure on the two Milan sides at the top of Serie A when they take on Genoa, while relegation threatened Fiorentina face Torino. In Germany Bayer Leverkusen travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach, and in Spain Real Sociedad look to keep their recent hot streak alive against Elche.

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