Girona thrash Sevilla 5-1 to reclaim top spot

Girona striker Artem Dovbyk scored a quick-fire, first-half hat-trick to help them to a 5-1 home win over Sevilla on Sunday as the hosts reclaimed top spot in LaLiga.

Surprise package Girona sit alone at the summit with 52 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, who beat Almeria earlier on Sunday and have one game in hand. Sevilla remain 17th with 16 points, one clear of the relegation zone.

With the win, the Catalan side also set an all-time club points record for a top flight season.

Girona take on Mallorca in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday before visiting Celta Vigo on Sunday in LaLiga.

Juventus climb to top of Serie A with win over Lecce

A second-half brace from Dusan Vlahovic and a late header from Gleison Bremer earned Juventus a 3-0 away win over Lecce on Sunday, lifting them to the top of Serie A.

Juve lead the standings with 52 points, one ahead of second-placed Inter Milan, who did not play a league match this weekend as they were participating in the Italian Supercup. Lecce are 14th with 21 points.

Juve are now unbeaten in the last 16 league matches.

Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri said his side are now starting to believe they could win the Scudetto for the first time since 2020.

Liverpool breeze past Bournemouth to go five points clear

Liverpool moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 demolition of Bournemouth that extended their unbeaten league run to 14 games on Sunday.

Liverpool have 48 points from 21 games with champions Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa on 43 points. City do have a game in hand of Juergen Klopp’s side.

Bournemouth are in 12th place with 25 points.

Bayern suffer shock home loss to Werder to drop seven points behind

Bayern Munich slumped to a 1-0 home loss to Werder Bremen on Sunday after a Mitchell Weiser goal to stay seven points adrift of leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race.

It was Werder’s first victory in Munich since 2008 and the champions’ second league loss of the campaign.

Bayern have now failed to score in a home league game for the first time since February 2020, ending a run of 65 consecutive home games with at least one goal.

The result leaves them on 41 points in second place with a game in hand. Leverkusen are on 48 following their last-gasp 3-2 win over RB Leipzig on Saturday. VfB Stuttgart are in third place on 34, while Werder are 12th with 20 points.

The hosts, who face Union Berlin in their postponed league game on Wednesday, looked far from fresh following a short training camp in Portugal earlier this week.

PSV denied new record as winning run ended by Utrecht

PSV Eindhoven dropped their first points of the Dutch league season when they were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Utrecht on Sunday, ending their hopes of breaking their own record for consecutive wins.

PSV had won all 17 leagues matches prior to their trip to the Stadion Galgenwaard.

PSV also won the first 17 games of the 1987-88 season, which remains a Dutch record they have now matched, but could not beat. On that occasion their run was also ended by a draw.

A 2-1 win for second-placed Feyenoord at bottom side Vitesse means PSV’s lead at the top has been cut to 10 points.

Milan keeper Maignan calls for sanctions to combat racism

Strong sanctions must be implemented to combat racism, AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan said after he briefly left the pitch in protest during a 3-2 win at Udinese in Serie A on Saturday.

Frenchman Maignan alerted the referee before leaving the pitch due to repeated racist chants from the local fans, according to Italian media. He was followed by his team mates to the tunnel before returning to the goal after a few minutes.

English second-tier club Sheffield Wednesday also issued a statement after Coventry City midfielder Kasey Palmer said he had been subjected to racist abuse by some Wednesday fans in their match on Saturday. Both Maignan and Palmer are Black.

The incidents were described as “totally abhorrent” by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Maignan told Sky Sports Italy that it was not the first time he had been abused.

“I said we cannot play football like this,” he said. “They must hand out very strong sanctions, because talking no longer does anything. We have to say that what they are doing is wrong. It is not the whole crowd, most fans want to cheer on their team and jeer you, that’s normal, but not this.”