Italy Euro 2016 hopeful Simone Zaza produced a dramatic late strike as champions Juventus went one point clear at the top of Serie A with a 1-0 win over Napoli on Saturday (Feb 13).

Napoli, suffering only their third defeat of the campaign, travelled north looking for a league double over the champions for the first time since the 2009-2010 campaign.

But just as the match looked to be heading for a draw, Zaza finished off a great Juve counter in the 88th minute with a powerful shot from 22 yards that took a slight deflection before beating Pepe Reina in the Napoli net.

“I hope this turns out to be a title-winning goal,” said Zaza, who was one of several Italy fringe players being watched by Azzurri coach Antonio Conte in Turin.

Juve are now top of the table with Napoli, who are seeking their first title since 1990 when Diego Maradona steered the southern club to just their second title, now second and a point adrift.

After applauding the “solid” defence that kept a tight rein on Napoli’s 24-goal hero Gonzalo Higuain, Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri admitted: “We got our revenge.”

But he expects a tight battle with Maurizio Sarri’s men in the title run-in and added: “Compared to last year at this point we have one point less, so the title fight will be tight and there won’t be just Napoli but also Inter and Fiorentina.

“Despite the fact we’ve put together 15 consecutive wins, Napoli were always in front of us.”

Napoli coach Sarri all but admitted Juve’s defence had been key: “We were lacking something in the final 20 yards, which is only normal when you’re up against such a strong side.

“Eight months ago they were 24 points behind us, now we’re almost tied.”

Juve fans, however, will be hoping for vast improvements against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16 in just over a week’s time.

The chances for both sides were few and far between in a nervous opening half in which not conceding a goal seemed to be the order of the day.

Juan Cuadrado and Paul Pogba, with a 25-yard freekick, had come closest for Juve in an opening half in which Napoli really only came to life on the cusp of the interval.

First, Gianluigi Buffon produced a fine reflex save from Raul Albiol’s close-range volley from a corner.

Higuain then held the ball up well to find Lorenzo Insigne with a blind pass, only for the Italian to over-hit his return as the Argentinian rushed to the back post.

Napoli resumed where they had left off and Juve looked asleep as the diminutive Insigne somehow muscled his way across the left byline to force a block from Buffon in the opening minute after the restart.

Juve won a corner and a well-worked move saw Claudio Marchisio send a high ball over the defence to Sami Khedira, but Patrice Evra blasted the cutback over from six yards.

But home manager Massimiliano Allegri seemed alert to the danger and soon made two changes, Daniele Rugani replacing Leonardo Bonucci and Zaza coming on for Alvaro Morata.

Zaza’s impact was almost immediate, the Italian battling for possession deep on the right to set up Dybala on the edge of the area before the Argentinian was closed down.

Minutes later Pogba, from deep on the left, set up Dybala at the same spot but the striker flashed his first-time effort just over.

Finally, the Juve crowd were up on their feet but it took the hosts another quarter-hour — in between seeing Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik fire a 25-yard strike just wide — to produce their next chance.

Pogba held off several players on a pacey run up the middle, but despite Cuadrado screaming for service, the Frenchman hit a shot that bobbled towards a thankful Reina.

Allegri appeared to have signalled that he was happy with a share of the spoils when he replaced Dybala with Brazilian defender Alex Sandro in the dying minutes.

But after an exchange of passes, Zaza took two strides ahead of his marker to unleash the shot from outside the area that left Reina powerless, and sent Juventus Stadium into raptures.

Collated Italian Serie A results on Saturday:

Empoli 1 Frosinone 2

Chievo 1 Sassuolo 1

Juventus 1 Napoli 0

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Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as Real Madrid overcame a stiff test from Athletic Bilbao to move within a point of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a 4-2 win on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Gary Neville registered his first La Liga win as Valencia boss at the 10th attempt as they came from behind to beat Espanyol 2-1.

Ronaldo’s early opener was cancelled out by Javi Eraso before a two-goal burst just before half-time from James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos put Madrid in control.

Real were reduced to 10 men late on as Raphael Varane received a red card, but Ronaldo made sure of the points before Gorka Elustondo grabbed a consolation in stoppage time.

Barca have two games in hand on Madrid and face Celta Vigo in the first of those on Sunday.

Ronaldo had been much criticised for his poor performance as Madrid struggled past Granada last weekend.

Yet, back on home soil, he was back on top form as he turned inside from Karim Benzema’s pass and smashed home his 31st goal of the season.

“The press are here to opine on whether Ronaldo plays well or badly, if he is finished, but today he has showed he is bloody brilliant,” added Zidane.

However, Athletic reacted well to going behind in a hugely entertaining first half with chances flowing at either end.

The visitors were level on 10 minutes when Varane’s errant backpass was only parried by Keylor Navas into the path of Eraso to slot home.

Navas then had to produce a brilliant save to parry Aritz Aduriz’s powerful downward header and Aduriz came close again on the half-hour when his deflected shot came back off the crossbar.

However, the Basques were made to pay for their profligacy as Madrid showed their firepower with two goals in eight minutes before half-time.

Rodriguez regained the lead with a trademark drive into the bottom corner from outside the box for just his fifth goal of the season.

Kroos then put the game beyond Athletic as he received Ronaldo’s pass just inside the area and saw his shot flick off Aymeric Laporte on its way past Iraizoz.

Madrid had to see out the final seven minutes with 10 men as Varane saw a second yellow card for leading with his elbow in an aerial clash with Aduriz.

Yet, even with a man less, Ronaldo got his second of the afternoon to move ahead of Luis Suarez as La Liga’s top goalscorer by controlling Lucas Vazquez’s cross before firing home from close range.

Athletic did eventually get the second goal their performance deserved in stoppage time when Elustondo rounded off the scoring from Oscar de Marcos’s cross.

Valencia’s first league win since November eases their relegation fears and the growing pressure on Neville’s job.

“I’m happy with it, but it’s just one small step forward. There is a big job still to do,” said Neville.

“Relief is probably a good word (to describe it).”

The former Manchester United captain made the bold decision to recall goalkeeper Diego Alves for the first time in nine months after suffering cruciate ligament damage.

That decision paid dividends early on as the Brazilian made a brilliant reaction save to deny Felipe Caicedo before Mamadou Sylla inexplicably headed the rebound wide.

However, Alves was caught flatfooted for the opening goal seven minutes after half-time as Oscar Duarte flew in unmarked to head home Burgui’s corner.

Alves made amends moments later with an incredible double save to deny Duarte and then Pape Diop.

Neville sent on Alvaro Negredo in search of an equaliser and, unlike in recent games when the former Spanish international has missed key chances, he came up with the goods as his deflected shot after a terrific run by Joao Cancelo trickled in 20 minutes from time.

And the game was turned on its head six minutes later as Sofiane Feghouli’s cross from the right was powerfully met by Denis Cheryshev at the back post for his first Valencia goal.

Villarreal stretched their lead over Sevilla in fourth to 11 points thanks to Roberto Soldado’s solitary goal in a 1-0 win over Malaga.

Collated Spanish La Liga results on Saturday:

Real Madrid 4 Athletic Bilbao 2

Villarreal 1 Malaga 0

Valencia 2 Espanyol 1

Deportivo la Coruna 2 Real Betis 2

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Liverpool ran riot in a 6-0 hammering of Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday (Feb 14) as the Premier League’s bottom club went into meltdown.

Daniel Sturridge made a dream return to the visitors’ starting line-up after injury with a 16th-minute opener that set Liverpool on course for a crushing victory.

And Villa then wilted as they slumped to their heaviest home defeat of the post-1992 Premier League era to slide closer to relegation, ending the day eight points adrift of the safety line.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool produced a slick display to claim a first win in six games in all competitions. There were six different goalscorers as James Milner, Emre Can, Divock Origi, Nathaniel Clyne and Kolo Toure added to Sturridge’s effort.

However, the home side helped with a feeble display that saw thousands of fans head for the exits with less than an hour played as four goals in 14 second-half minutes set Liverpool on course for a huge win.

Those that remained turned on owner Randy Lerner with chants against the American, while Liverpool’s comprehensive win took them eighth in the table, just three points behind Manchester United in the Europa League place.

For Sturridge, who played for Villa as a schoolboy, it was the perfect way to mark his first league start since October following a series of injury setbacks.

Villa had enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, passing the ball neatly and crisply. But they failed to create even a half-chance to test Simon Mignolet in the Liverpool goal and paid the price when Sturridge opened the scoring.

The forward ghosted between Villa defenders Joleon Lescott and Aly Cissokho, who failed to track his run. That left him with the simple task of heading home Philippe Coutinho’s delicious cross from around six yards out.

Villa’s approach play remained encouraging, but Mignolet made a simple catch from a Jores Okore header before Ashley Westwood tried his luck from distance with a shot that flew well wide.

IRONIC CHEERS

Liverpool, however, continued to pose the greater threat in possession and a set-piece brought the second goal on 25 minutes.

Okore was guilty of conceding a needless free-kick on the Villa right and Milner’s delivery evaded everyone, including goalkeeper Mark Bunn, and nestled inside the far post. It owed much to fortune, but from that moment Villa caved in.

The Merseysiders ought to have added to their lead on the half-hour when Villa’s shell-shocked defenders gifted them another chance. Milner was given time and space for a cushioned header from a cross by Roberto Firmino, but Jordan Henderson saw his low drive deflected wide off Okore.

Liverpool began to take control with Bunn saving a shot by Firmino and then, a minute before half-time, diving to his right to pull off a better save from a curling effort by Sturridge.

Early in the second half Leandro Bacuna cut in from the flank for Villa, but his tame shot was held at the second attempt by Mignolet. Villa imploded again in the 58th minute when Can started and finished the move for Liverpool’s third goal.

Bacuna’s awful first touch allowed Can to win possession and feed Firmino before continuing his run, receiving the Brazilian’s pull-back and hammering home a shot from the edge of the area.

It was 4-0 five minutes later when Coutinho’s fine pass exploited a Villa defence in disarray and Origi controlled the ball with his first touch of the game and finished with his second.

Clyne added the fifth by forcing home the rebound after Bunn saved his initial shot in a goalmouth scramble. And Villa’s embarrassment deepened when they gave Toure a free header on 71 minutes to nod home a Henderson cross for 6-0.

Thousands of seats had emptied by the 80th minute, but the Villa fans that remained mustered ironic cheers as substitute Scott Sinclair played a one-two with Lescott and curled a shot against the woodwork.

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Robert Lewandowski netted twice on Sunday (Feb 14) to overtake Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Bundesliga’s top scorer as leaders Bayern Munich won 3-1 at Augsburg.

Poland striker Lewandowski netted either side of half-time with Thomas Mueller securing the points for the Bundesliga leaders before Raul Bobadilla pulled a goal back for Augsburg late on.

Lewandowski now has 21 goals to his name this season, one more than Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang on 20. He has now scored eight of Bayern’s last nine goals and has netted 31 times in all competitions.

Playing in front of Thiago Alcantara and Mueller, he showed clinical finishing on 15 minutes to open the scoring and calmly curled in his second on 62 minutes by converting Thiago’s pass.

Mueller added the third on 78 minutes for his 15th league goal of the season, leaving him and Lewandowski with 36 goals between them in Germany’s top flight this season.

Despite Bobadilla’s late consolation, Bayern are eight points clear of Dortmund at the top of the table. The win was a big boost for Bayern coach Pep Guardiola after he lost yet another defender on the eve of the Bavarian derby when Holger Badstuber fractured his ankle in training.

With Jerome Boateng, Medhi Benatia and Javi Martinez sidelined, it left Guardiola without a single fit centre-back as Badstuber underwent surgery on Saturday.

He misses the rest of the season after suffering his fourth major injury since 2012 including twice tearing his cruciate knee ligament. “We have had a lot of injuries this season, but we all love Holger and it is incredible what has happened to him,” said Guardiola.

The Spaniard, like the rest of the squad before the game, wore a t-shirt with a direct message to Badstuber: “We’re with you – you’ll manage it again (to come back)”. “We’ll support him on his way back to fitness,” said Guardiola solemnly.

He fielded a back four of Juan Bernat, David Alaba, Philipp Lahm and Joshua Kimmich – all of whom are under 1.80 metres.

HAMBURG PULL CLEAR

Earlier, Hamburg pulled clear of the relegation battle with a shock 3-2 comeback win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach to end their six-game winless streak.

US international Fabian Johnson gave the visitors an early lead before Gladbach defender Martin Hinteregger stabbed the ball into his own net from a corner on 38 minutes to equalise for Hamburg.

And just three minutes later, Artjoms Rudnevs finished a Hamburg counter-attack to make it 2-1 at the break.

Midfielder Ivo Ilicevic extended Hamburg’s lead when he headed home from a corner with 10 minutes to go.

Brazilian striker Raffael gave Gladbach brief hope by making it 3-2 on 88 minutes.

On Saturday, Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s second-half goal sealed second-placed Dortmund’s 1-0 win over bottom side Hanover 96.

Aubameyang, who had a leg knock, missed his first league match of the season for Dortmund.

Wolfsburg warmed up for Wednesday’s Champions League last 16, first leg at Gent with a 2-0 win at home to Ingolstadt, their first victory since knocking Manchester United out of the Champions League in December.

Wolfsburg won for the first time in six games but stay eighth after first-half goals by Germany midfielder Julian Draxler and defender Robin Knoche.

Bayer Leverkusen moved up to third with a 2-1 comeback win at Darmstadt.

On a heavy pitch, Sandro Wagner stabbed home to give Darmstadt an early lead, but Leverkusen drew level when Darmstadt defender Aytac Sulu headed into his own net on 62 minutes.

Julian Brandt started the move he finished by tapping in Leverkusen’s winner on 77 minutes.

VfB Stuttgart’s impressive form continued as they picked up their fifth straight league win to go 10th, beating Hertha Berlin 2-0.

Ivory Coast’s Serey Die and winger Filip Kostic scored Stuttgart’s goals as Hertha drop to fourth.

The youngest manager in Bundesliga history made his debut when Julian Nagelsmann, 28, was on Hoffenheim’s bench for their 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen in a basement battle.

Nagelsmann took over after predecessor Huub Stevens resigned on Wednesday due to heart problems. The result leaves both teams in the bottom three.

Eintracht Frankfurt remain just above the relegation places after their 3-1 defeat at Cologne.

Source AFP