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Saturday European Rewind: Borussia Dortmund edges Hoffenheim, Barcelona cruises past Villarreal, and more

The must-watch match across Europe on Saturday took place in Germany, as hosts Borussia Dortmund held off Hoffenheim 2-1 at Signal Iduna Park.

Thomas Tuchel’s side knew a victory on Saturday would leapfrog them into third place over their opponents, in the race for next season’s Champions League. The hosts started off quickly as Marco Reus scored four minutes in to give Dortmund a 1-0 lead.

Dortmund missed the chance to double their lead ten minutes later as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed a 14th-minute penalty kick. However, the Gabon international made up for his earlier miss by heading Dortmund an insurance goal in the 80th-minute.

Hoffenheim pulled to within one after Andrei Kramaric scored an 86th-minute penalty, but that was the closest the visitors got. Dortmund had four shots on goal, while Hoffenheim had five. The victory for Dortmund put them two points ahead of Hoffenheim in the standings, while the visitors saw a three match unbeaten run snapped.

Elsewhere, Tottenham saw its English Premier League title hopes dented in a defeat at West Ham on Friday, while Manchester City cruised past Crystal Palace on Saturday. In Spain, Sevilla and Real Sociedad shared the points in a draw, while Real Madrid took on Granada away from home. PSG defeated Bastia in Ligue 1 play, while Bayern Munich defeated Darmstadt in Bundesliga play.

Here is a rundown of all of Friday and Saturday’s European action:

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Tottenham’s  chances of a first top-flight title since 1965 took a huge hit on Friday, falling to London rivals West Ham United, 1-0. Mauricio Pochettino’s side were looking for their tenth consecutive league win, while West Ham knew a victory would see them jump several places up the table. Tottenham saw several chances go begging in the opening half, as the teams went into halftime scoreless. The breakthrough for West Ham came in the 65th-minute as Manuel Lanzini pounced on a rebound inside the box for the only goal of the match. West Ham keeper Adrian made five saves in the clean sheet, while Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris made four. The Hammers move up to 11th, while Tottenham could see their title hopes finished if leaders Chelsea win their next two league matches.

Manchester City cruised on Saturday to a 5-0 demolition of Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium. David Silva opened the scoring for the hosts after two minutes, finishing off a loose ball in the box. Vincent Kompany’s 49th-minute strike doubled the Citizens advantage early in the second-half. Kevin De Bruyne added to the lead in the 59th-minute, before Raheem Sterling scored his seventh league goal of the season. Nicolas Otamendi’s diving header sealed the final score at 5-0 in stoppage time. Pep Guardiola’s men go up to third until at least tomorrow, while Crystal Palace remain in a relegation fight at the other end of the table.

Despite being guaranteed relegation last weekend, Sunderland showed no signs of disappointment in a 2-0 road win at Hull City. David Moyes’ side earned their first league victory since Feb. 4th, thanks to a pair of second-half goals. Billy Jones’ 69th-minute header put the Black Cats ahead 1-0 following a corner kick. Jermain Defoe sealed the three points, tapping home from a free-kick in stoppage time. Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford made six saves in the clean sheet, while Hull suffered their first home league defeat since Dec. 26th. Hull dropped to 18th with Swansea’s win over Everton.

Here are all of Friday and Saturday’s Premier League results:

West Ham United 1 – Tottenham Hotspur 0

Manchester City 5 – Crystal Palace 0

AFC Bournemouth 2 – Stoke City 2

Burnley 2 – West Bromwich Albion 2

Hull City 0 – Sunderland 2

Leicester City 3 – Watford 0

Swansea City 1 – Everton 0

SPANISH LA LIGA

Real Sociedad fought back for a point at Sevilla in Friday’s 1-1 draw. Carlos Vela’s 61st-minute equalizer earned the visitors a point in their race for a European qualification spot. Pablo Sarabia’s left-footed goal put Sevilla ahead 1-0 just before halftime. Vela’s ninth league goal of the season, proved to be enough as Sociedad had to hold after a late red card was given to David Zurutuza. Sevilla remain in fourth, while Sociedad sit in seventh.

La Liga leaders Barcelona received a brace from Lionel Messi to defeat Villarreal 4-1 at the Camp Nou. Messi’s 82nd-minute penalty kick capped the final score at 4-1,as every member of the MSN trio scored a goal. Neymar opened the scoring after 21 minutes, scoring from close range. However, Villarreal drew things level in the 32nd minute, as Cedric Bakambu scored his 11th league goal of the season. Messi’s first goal of the afternoon was an absolute rocket just before halftime, putting the hosts back in front. Luis Suarez extended Barca’s lead to 3-1 in the 69th-minute, scoring on a fast break. Jaume Costa was whistled for handball in the 81st-minute, which allowed Messi the chance to score his 50th goal across all competitions. Barcelona still hold the edge over Real Madrid due to goal difference, while Villarreal remain in fifth.

Atletico Madrid made it consecutive league wins on Saturday, defeating visiting Eibar, 1-0. Following a scoreless first half, the hosts got their match winner in the 69th-minute, as Saul Niguez’s long-range effort found the bottom left corner. It was the Spaniard’s eighth goal in all competitions, which helped Diego Simeone’s earn a massive three points. Despite a late sending off to Diego Godin, Eibar only created three shots on goal, and fell for the third time in their last five matches. The visitors remain in eighth, while Atletico hold a five-point lead over fourth place Sevilla.

Here are all of Friday and Saturday’s La Liga results:

Sevilla 1 – Real Sociedad 1

Sporting Gijon 1 – Las Palmas 0

Atletico Madrid 1 – Eibar 0

Barcelona 4 – Villarreal 1

Granada 0 – Real Madrid 4

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich made it consecutive league wins on Saturday, defeating Darmstadt 1-0 at the Allianz. An 18th-minute finish from wingback Juan Bernat proved to be the difference in the scoreline. However, the defender almost handed the visitors a share of the points after conceding a late penalty. Hamit Altintop’s 86th-minute penalty kick was saved by Bayern’s Tom Starke in the bottom right corner. Ancelotti’s men sit 10 points clear of second-place RB Leipzig, while Darmstadt were guaranteed relegation to the second-tier after the loss.

Wolfsburg earned their second road victory of 2017, after a 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt. U.S. international Timmy Chandler wore the captain armband for Frankfurt for the first time, but the hosts failed to pick up three points. Daniel Didavi’s 48th-minute finish opened the scoring for the visitors, and proved to be the match winner. Mario Gomez added to the lead in the 63rd-minute, scoring his 15th league goal of the season. Frankfurt only mustered two shots on goal, losing their second consecutive match. Wolfsburg move closer to Bundesliga safety, while Frankfurt sit in 11th.

RB Leipzig booked their place to next season’s Champions League after a 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin. Braces from both leading scorer Timo Werner and Davie Selke gave the visitors a huge road victory. Werner opened the scoring after 11 minutes, heading home Marcel Sabitzer’s cross. The 21-year-old’s second goal of the match, came in the 54th-minute from a right-footed finish. An own-goal off of Leipzig’s Rani Khedira pulled the hosts to within one, before Leipzig pulled away. Selke’s 89th-minute finish extended the score to 3-1, before the substitute added a stoppage-time finish for good measure. Berlin created only one shot on goal, while Leipzig had eight. The hosts stay in fifth, while Leipzig are six points clear of third place Borussia Dortmund.

Here are all of Friday and Saturday’s Bundesliga results:

FC Cologne 4 – Werder Bremen 3

Bayern Munich 1 – SV Darmstadt 0

Borussia Dortmund 2 – 1899 Hoffenheim 1

Borussia Monchengladbach 1 – FC Augsburg 1

Ingolstadt 1 – Bayer Leverkusen 1

Eintracht Frankfurt 0 – VfL Wolfsburg 2

Hertha Berlin 1 – RB Leipzig 4

ITALIAN SERIE A

Napoli jumped to second place in the Serie A standings after a 3-1 home win over Cagliari. Maurizio Sarri’s side received a brace from Dries Mertens which sparked them to Saturday’s victory. The forward opened the scoring after two minutes, scoring from a left-footed effort. Mertens extended the hosts lead to 2-0 in the 49th-minute, rifling home from a long-range strike. Lorenzo Insigne’s 15th league goal of the season made it 3-0 in the 67th-minute, before a late Diego Farias goal gave Cagliari a consolation goal. Napoli extended their unbeaten run to nine matches across all competitions, and sit two points ahead of third-place Roma, who play Sunday. Cagliari drop to 13th in the standings after the road loss.

Serie A leaders Juventus received a 92nd-minute equalizer from Gonzalo Higuain to earn a point in Saturday’s Turin Derby vs. Torino. Higuain’s long-range effort beat Manchester City loanee Joe Hart to the bottom left corner. Medhi Benatia’s 15th-minute header struck the bar, which was the best chance for either side in the first-half. Adem Llajic’s 52nd-minute free kick put the visitors up 1-0, which was the forward’s 11th goal in all competitions. Torino however were reduced to 10 men, just five minutes later as Afriyie Acquah saw a second yellow card. Higuain, who came on as a second-half sub, scored his 23rd goal in Serie A play. The draw keeps Juventus atop the league table, now eight points clear of Napoli. Torino remain in ninth, earning their fifth draw out of their last seven matches.

Napoli 3 – Cagliari 1

Juventus 1 – Torino 1

FRENCH LIGUE 1

PSG kept their Ligue 1 title hopes alive after a 5-0 thumping of Bastia at the Parc des Princes on Saturday. Unai Emery’s side received a brace from Edinson Cavani, while three other players added goals in the win. Lucas Moura’s 32nd-minute finish opened the scoring for PSG, before Marco Verratti added to the lead three minutes later. Cavani’s first goal on the day came after 76 minutes, finishing from close range. The Uruguayan saw an 80th-minute penalty saved, but Marquinhos made it 4-0 just two minutes later. Cavani’s long-range effort stamped the final score at 5-0 just before stoppage time. PSG remain three points back of league leaders Monaco, while Bastia are two points from safety in last place.

League leaders Monaco bounced back from Wednesday’s European defeat by shutting out Nancy, 3-0. Leonardo Jardim’s men took an early 1-0 lead after an own-goal off of Nancy defender Tobias Badila found the back of the net. Bernardo Silva extended the visitors lead in the 40th-minute, heading home Thomas Lemar’s cross. Lemar capped the final score at 3-0, scoring his ninth league goal of the season. The French international finished off Kylian Mbappe’s assist from close range. Monaco remain atop the Ligue 1 summit, three points better than second place PSG. Nancy are three points from safety, sitting second from bottom.

Here are all of Friday and Saturday’s Ligue 1 results:

Saint-Etienne 2 – Bordeaux 2

Paris Saint-Germain 5 – Bastia 0

Nancy 0 – Monaco 3

Lorient 1 – Angers 1

Lille 0 – Metz 2

Toulouse 0 – Caen 1

Guingamp 4 – Dijon 0

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