European Football: Madrid stays close to Barca as Lazio takes Serie A lead
Kylian Mbappé scored a penalty, and Andrea Pinamonti provided a late winner for Lazio in matches played on Sunday.
By Adewale Fletcher ·
European club football continued on Sunday with a mix of dominant performances and late drama across Spain and Italy. Real Madrid defeated Racing Santander 3-0 to maintain a close pursuit of league leaders Barcelona, while Lazio moved to the top of Serie A with a narrow victory over Cagliari.
In Madrid, Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a penalty kick. He was fouled during the play that led to the spot kick. Midfielder Jude Bellingham added the second goal midway through the first half, with Mbappé involved in the buildup. Summer signing Yan Diomandé struck a powerful shot before halftime to seal the 3-0 score. This result keeps Real Madrid in third place in La Liga, one point behind Atletico Madrid and three points behind Barcelona.
Backlash followed Mbappé earlier in the week. On Tuesday, he apologized for comments in which he described Mao Zedong as a dictator. The remarks drew criticism and resulted in lost brand deals with Chinese companies. This occurred one day after he finished second to Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane in the men's Ballon d'Or voting.
In Italy, Lazio secured the top spot in Serie A by beating Cagliari 2-1. Striker M'Bala Nzola gave Cagliari the lead in the 21st minute. Gustav Isaksen pulled Lazio level late in the first half. Andrea Pinamonti, who entered the game as a second-half substitute, scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute. He removed his jersey in celebration after the goal. Lazio moved three points ahead of Inter Milan, the defending champion, which had lost to AC Milan the previous day.
Other results in Italy included a 1-0 home win for Como against Venezia. Lucas Da Cunha scored a late first-half penalty for Como. Venezia remains in last place, having lost nine of its last 10 matches. Frosinone also won 2-0 against Torino to hold the sixth position.
In Spain, Getafe defeated Sevilla 3-1. Forward Martín Satriano assisted the equalizer for striker Enes Ünal and then scored a goal himself. Orel Mangala added a late third goal for Getafe. All matches in the Spanish league featured a moment of silence to honor the victims of a recent train crash.
Further fixtures are scheduled for later Sunday. Juventus hosts Napoli, and Arsenal plays at Liverpool in the Premier League. Arsenal aims to extend its lead at the top of the table by three points.
