Euro Roundup

Away from the mania of English football, results in Italy and Germany ensured business as usual, while the Spanish and French leagues took another interesting turn.

Juventus scraped past Sampdoria to keep them at the top of Serie A, while Roma and Napoli remain neck and neck after vital wins against lesser opposition. Dries Mertens scored his 20th league goal and missed a penalty in his side’s narrow 3-2 win at Empoli, while Edin Dzeko scored his 21st in a 3-1 win over Sassuolo. Milan’s crucial 1-0 victory at home to Genoa moved them two points within rivals Inter, who could only manage a 2-2 draw at Torino.

Monaco’s Mbappe bagged yet another brace to fire his side to the top of Ligue One, with Nice failing at the very last in their pursuit of an elusive league title with a draw at Nantes. PSG overcame fourth placed Lyon to stay hot on the heels of Monaco, with the home side winning 2-1 after Alexandre Lacazette opened the scoring with his 22nd of the season.

Bayern went 13 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after Thomas Muller’s goal edged out Monchengladbach, where closest rivals RB Leipzig were on the receiving end of a 3-0 drubbing by 13th place Werder Bremen. Dortmund also managed a 1-0 victory thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 23rd of the season, placing him one goal ahead of Koln’s Anthony Modeste, who bagged a brace in the battle for 5th place against Hertha Berlin.

Finally in Spain, Real Madrid now sit two points clear the top after beating Athletic Bilbao 2-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo grabbing two assists in an impressive display, with 36-year-old Aritz Aduriz finding the net for the home side. Atletico Madrid lie just two points off Sevilla in third after beating their challengers 3-1, with Antoine Griezmann’s thunderous free-kick the pick of the goals. Barcelona meanwhile overcame Valencia in the match of the weekend, keeping them in contention for another La Liga title in Luis Enrique’s final year in charge.

The Catalan club went behind in a thrilling encounter with Valencia in 14th, when former Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala found the back of the net with a thumping header. Lionel Messi replied with his 25th of the season from the penalty spot, after Mangala received a straight red card for pulling Luis Suarez down in the box. On loan Barcelona attacker came back to haunt them with a well taken goal before the break, however Messi added another and ex-Valencia midfielder Andre Gomes completed the scoring in a feisty 4-2 encounter at the Nou Camp.