Bayern are champions again
London, Monday
As Bayern Munich wrapped up yet another Bundesliga title, it was a bad weekend for some of Europe’s other super clubs.
AFP Sport rounds up some of the main talking points from across the continent:
VAR costs Madrid
Real Madrid would have been in pole position to retain the Spanish title with a win over Sevilla but instead had to settle for a 2-2 draw after the latest VAR controversy.
With the scores level at 1-1, Real thought they had won a penalty for a foul on Karim Benzema only for the referee to give a spot-kick at the other end for an Eder Militao handball moments earlier, as confirmed after reviewing the images.
“The move that changed the league,” was the headline in Madrid-based sports daily Marca on Monday. “We are a bit uneasy about all this,” Real’s director of institutional relations, former player Emilio Butragueno, said of the VAR decision. Atletico had drawn 0-0 at Barcelona, keeping the Catalans also two points behind them and keeping them on course for a first title since 2014.
Juventus to miss UCL?
The club who were desperate to set up a breakaway Super League to guarantee their place among European football’s elite, Juventus have already seen their grip on Serie A come to an end and now they may not even qualify for next season’s Champions League.
A week after Inter clinched the Italian title, ending Juve’s run of nine consecutive championships, the Turin club were humbled 3-0 at home by AC Milan. That result, combined with victories for Atalanta and Napoli, saw Juventus slip to fifth, a point outside the Champions League berths with three games left.
Bayern wrap up nine in a row
Bayern secured their ninth consecutive Bundesliga title as closest rivals RB Leipzig -- whose coach Julian Nagelsmann will take over in Munich next season -- lost 3-2 at Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern celebrated by trouncing Borussia Moenchengladbach 6-0 with Robert Lewandowski scoring a hat-trick to move onto 39 Bundesliga goals for the season. PSG see title slip away
PSG’s hopes of an eighth Ligue 1 title in nine seasons faded as they were held 1-1 at Rennes despite Neymar marking signing a contract extension to 2025 by scoring a penalty.
The result left PSG three points behind leaders Lille with two games left.
Tension in Turkey
After Istanbul Basaksehir’s surprise success last season, the Turkish title will return to one of the city’s big three this year, but which one?
With two games left, Besiktas remain in pole position for a 16th title but a 3-1 defeat at Galatasaray kept the race alive.
Galatasaray, the record 22-time champions, are three points behind Besiktas in third. Fenerbahce, are just two points behind the leaders in second.
- AFP
