Belgian First Division wrap: Anderlecht stay top, Genk keep in touch

Anderlecht twice came from behind to beat Gent 3-2 and retain top spot in the Belgian First Division.

After a scoreless opening 45 minutes at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, visitors Gent went ahead through a goal from Ivorian Yaya Soumahoro three minutes into the second half.

Tom De Sutter equalised for Anderlecht on 58 minutes, but they were only level briefly before Bernd Thijs put Gent back in front.

Striker De Sutter was on hand to level again for the hosts on 81 minutes, before highly-rated youngster Romelu Lukaku snatched the winner for Anderlecht with six minutes remaining.

Gent remain third after their defeat, but they are now eight points behind Anderlecht and seven behind second-place Genk, who won 1-0 away at Cercle Brugge.

Marvin Ogunjimi scored the winner for Genk in the 67th minute at the Jan Breydel Stadion.

The visitors held on to seal victory despite playing the last 20 minutes with 10 men after the dismissal of Anthony Vanden Borre for a second bookable offence.

Elsewhere on Sunday, a second-half brace from Benjamin Mokulu Tembe helped Lokeren beat St Truiden 2-0 away from home.

Standard Liege beat Germinal Beerschot 1-0, while Club Brugge were held to a 0-0 draw away at Lierse.

All four goals came in the last 22 minutes as Charleroi drew 2-2 away to Westerlo.

Ellenton Liliu put hosts Westerlo 1-0 ahead on 68 minutes, before Tamir Cahlon equalised for Charleroi.

Alessandro Cordaro nudged the visitors in front, but Wouter Cortjens equalised with three minutes remaining.

Julien Gorius and David De Storme were on target as Mechelen beat Eupen 2-0 at home.

Sun 20 March, 2011

Belgian First Division wrap: Anderlecht stay top, Genk keep in touch

Anderlecht twice came from behind to beat Gent 3-2 and retain top spot in the Belgian First Division.

After a scoreless opening 45 minutes at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, visitors Gent went ahead through a goal from Ivorian Yaya Soumahoro three minutes into the second half.

Tom De Sutter equalised for Anderlecht on 58 minutes, but they were only level briefly before Bernd Thijs put Gent back in front.

Striker De Sutter was on hand to level again for the hosts on 81 minutes, before highly-rated youngster Romelu Lukaku snatched the winner for Anderlecht with six minutes remaining.

Gent remain third after their defeat, but they are now eight points behind Anderlecht and seven behind second-place Genk, who won 1-0 away at Cercle Brugge.

Marvin Ogunjimi scored the winner for Genk in the 67th minute at the Jan Breydel Stadion.

The visitors held on to seal victory despite playing the last 20 minutes with 10 men after the dismissal of Anthony Vanden Borre for a second bookable offence.

Elsewhere on Sunday, a second-half brace from Benjamin Mokulu Tembe helped Lokeren beat St Truiden 2-0 away from home.

Standard Liege beat Germinal Beerschot 1-0, while Club Brugge were held to a 0-0 draw away at Lierse.

All four goals came in the last 22 minutes as Charleroi drew 2-2 away to Westerlo.

Ellenton Liliu put hosts Westerlo 1-0 ahead on 68 minutes, before Tamir Cahlon equalised for Charleroi.

Alessandro Cordaro nudged the visitors in front, but Wouter Cortjens equalised with three minutes remaining.

Julien Gorius and David De Storme were on target as Mechelen beat Eupen 2-0 at home.

Sun 20 March, 2011

Napoli search for winning touch

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has demanded his players address a lack of sharpness ahead of their vital trip to Parma on Sunday.

Victory over Parma would allow Napoli to close the gap between themselves and second-placed Inter to a single point, after the defending Italian champions drew 1-1 at Brescia on Friday.

But for Napoli to do so would mean turning around their poor form of late, which has seen the Naples outfit fall 3-0 at AC Milan and labour through a 0-0 draw against Brescia.

Mazzarri denied his team’s performance has dropped off in recent weeks, but said his players need to find their extra touch when they take to the Stadio Ennio Tardini on Sunday.

“I’ve heard someone speaking of a drop in the team performance. I want to say this team hasn’t dropped its performance,” Mazzarri said.

“There were matches in which some single players’ performances weren’t great, but that was because they had played a lot and lost a bit of sharpness.”

“We have gone back to our old habits – the team plays well, we always do something more than our opponents, but we reap a little less.”

“But as I’ve just said, some guy lost a bit of sharpness in our play. It’s an individual problem – we didn’t see it at the level of the group.”

Mazzarri also insisted he is not at all concerned with the league table, saying there is still too long left in the competition to start thinking about a Scudetto challenge or a Champions League berth.

“I’m not thinking about Inter Milan or anything else” he said.

“If you want me to think about Inter Milan I will, and then I’ll think about AC Milan and Lazio and Udinese, and then Roma or something else, and then Palermo.”

“We can still gain 30 points and 10 matches are still to be played, so anything can still happen.”

“Nobody will take this from my mind and from the team I am manager of. If I’m here talking like this it’s because I don’t want any distraction of any sort.”

“My energies are all put in helping my team reach their best. They’re playing an extraordinary championship, beyond all expectations.”

Sat 12 March, 2011

Napoli search for winning touch

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has demanded his players address a lack of sharpness ahead of their vital trip to Parma on Sunday.

Victory over Parma would allow Napoli to close the gap between themselves and second-placed Inter to a single point, after the defending Italian champions drew 1-1 at Brescia on Friday.

But for Napoli to do so would mean turning around their poor form of late, which has seen the Naples outfit fall 3-0 at AC Milan and labour through a 0-0 draw against Brescia.

Mazzarri denied his team’s performance has dropped off in recent weeks, but said his players need to find their extra touch when they take to the Stadio Ennio Tardini on Sunday.

“I’ve heard someone speaking of a drop in the team performance. I want to say this team hasn’t dropped its performance,” Mazzarri said.

“There were matches in which some single players’ performances weren’t great, but that was because they had played a lot and lost a bit of sharpness.”

“We have gone back to our old habits – the team plays well, we always do something more than our opponents, but we reap a little less.”

“But as I’ve just said, some guy lost a bit of sharpness in our play. It’s an individual problem – we didn’t see it at the level of the group.”

Mazzarri also insisted he is not at all concerned with the league table, saying there is still too long left in the competition to start thinking about a Scudetto challenge or a Champions League berth.

“I’m not thinking about Inter Milan or anything else” he said.

“If you want me to think about Inter Milan I will, and then I’ll think about AC Milan and Lazio and Udinese, and then Roma or something else, and then Palermo.”

“We can still gain 30 points and 10 matches are still to be played, so anything can still happen.”

“Nobody will take this from my mind and from the team I am manager of. If I’m here talking like this it’s because I don’t want any distraction of any sort.”

“My energies are all put in helping my team reach their best. They’re playing an extraordinary championship, beyond all expectations.”

Sat 12 March, 2011

La Liga wrap: Real stay in touch, Getafe overrun Almeria

Real Madrid squeezed past Sevilla 1-0 despite going down to 10 men in La Liga on Sunday, while Getafe came from two goals down to beat Almeria.

Needing a win to return to within two points of leaders Barcelona, Real were held goalless in the opening 45 minutes by a dogged Sevilla side.

Tempers flared in the second half and Real found themselves reduced to 10 when centre-back Ricardo Carvalho received a second yellow card just after the hour mark.

But they continued to press for the breakthrough and it eventually came via a moment of magic from Argentina international Angel Di Maria, who beat Sevilla goalkeeper Andres Palop from an improbable angle on 75 minutes.

Sevilla also finished with 10 men after Mouhamadou Dabo was given a straight red for kicking out at the goal scorer during injury time.

It was a fitting conclusion to a petulant contest that saw 10 players enter the notebook of referee Carlos Gomez.

Real keep pace with Barca at the top of the table, while Sevilla remain 11th.

Elsewhere, Almeria, looking for successive wins for the first time this season after beating Sevilla 3-1 away from home last week, took a two-goal lead early on against visitors Getafe at the Estadio Mediterraneo.

Nigeria international Kalu Uche opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Jose Ulloa made it two on 24 minutes.

But Manu pulled one back for Getafe just four minutes later, and Venezuela international Miku struck to pull the visitors level two minutes into the second half.

The comeback was complete on 69 minutes when Ghanaian Derek Boateng back-heeled the winner past Diego Alves in the Almeria goal.

Getafe have now won four league games in a row to climb to seventh, while Almeria are 17th, clear of the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Tiago struck twice as Atletico Madrid beat Malaga 3-0 away from home.

The Portugal midfielder scored a goal in each half, with Alvaro Dominguez Soto notching the other.

Atletico climb to sixth, while Malaga stay third from bottom.

And Real Zaragoza gained a point in a 0-0 draw away to Osasuna but remain at the foot of the table.

Mon 20 December, 2010

La Liga wrap: Real stay in touch, Getafe overrun Almeria

Real Madrid squeezed past Sevilla 1-0 despite going down to 10 men in La Liga on Sunday, while Getafe came from two goals down to beat Almeria.

Needing a win to return to within two points of leaders Barcelona, Real were held goalless in the opening 45 minutes by a dogged Sevilla side.

Tempers flared in the second half and Real found themselves reduced to 10 when centre-back Ricardo Carvalho received a second yellow card just after the hour mark.

But they continued to press for the breakthrough and it eventually came via a moment of magic from Argentina international Angel Di Maria, who beat Sevilla goalkeeper Andres Palop from an improbable angle on 75 minutes.

Sevilla also finished with 10 men after Mouhamadou Dabo was given a straight red for kicking out at the goal scorer during injury time.

It was a fitting conclusion to a petulant contest that saw 10 players enter the notebook of referee Carlos Gomez.

Real keep pace with Barca at the top of the table, while Sevilla remain 11th.

Elsewhere, Almeria, looking for successive wins for the first time this season after beating Sevilla 3-1 away from home last week, took a two-goal lead early on against visitors Getafe at the Estadio Mediterraneo.

Nigeria international Kalu Uche opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Jose Ulloa made it two on 24 minutes.

But Manu pulled one back for Getafe just four minutes later, and Venezuela international Miku struck to pull the visitors level two minutes into the second half.

The comeback was complete on 69 minutes when Ghanaian Derek Boateng back-heeled the winner past Diego Alves in the Almeria goal.

Getafe have now won four league games in a row to climb to seventh, while Almeria are 17th, clear of the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Tiago struck twice as Atletico Madrid beat Malaga 3-0 away from home.

The Portugal midfielder scored a goal in each half, with Alvaro Dominguez Soto notching the other.

Atletico climb to sixth, while Malaga stay third from bottom.

And Real Zaragoza gained a point in a 0-0 draw away to Osasuna but remain at the foot of the table.

Mon 20 December, 2010