Connect with us

Football

European football: Sørloth scores four goals in 17 minutes against Real Madrid

Published

on

European football: Sørloth scores four goals in 17 minutes against Real Madrid

Alexander Sørloth struck four times in 17 minutes to help Villarreal fight back and snatch a 4-4 home draw against champions Real Madrid and take himself top of La Liga’s scoring charts.

Real opened the scoring in the 14th minute when the Turkish youngster Arda Guler slotted home a low strike off a Brahim Díaz pass before Joselu doubled the lead with a close-range header on the half-hour mark.

Sørloth pulled one back for Villarreal with a towering header in the 39th minute, but Lucas Vázquez restored Real’s two-goal advantage only a minute later before Guler made it 4-1 in the final seconds of the first half. But the hosts rallied after the break, with Sørloth scoring three goals in eight minutes, between the 48th and 56th, as he reached 23 league goals this season.

Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 3-0 in their final home game of the season to secure second place in La Liga thanks to an early goal from Robert Lewandowski and a quick-fire double from Pedri.

Barcelona took the lead in the third minute when Lamine Yamal cut in from the right wing and chipped the ball to Lewandowski, who expertly controlled the pass with his chest and volleyed home.

Although Rayo had their chances to level, Barcelona doubled their lead with some magical footwork from João Félix who saw his shot saved but Pedri managed to score from the rebound to give the home side a two-goal cushion. Barely three minutes later, Pedri spotted a gap in Rayo’s high defensive line and he was put through on goal with a long ball from centre back Ronald Araujo, allowing the 21-year-old to fire home and double his goal tally for the season.

The result moved Barcelona to 82 points, four points above Girona, who won 3-1 away at Valencia.

Raúl García scored in each half as Osasuna secured their first win at Atlético Madrid since 2009, beating the hosts 4-1 and handing them their second home loss of the league campaign.

The visitors scored in the 26th minute when Alejandro Catena headed it down inside the box for García to score. Osasuna doubled their lead in the 52nd minute with Atlético keeper Jan Oblak’s block falling to substitute Aimar Oroz for a close-range finish.

Atlético struck back three minutes later with Álvaro Morata scoring from Ángel Correa’s cross. But García restored Osasuna’s two-goal cushion in the 64th minute, before Lucas Torró sealed the victory, hammering home with his right foot in the 88th.

Arne Slot took charge of his last Feyenoord match before taking over at Liverpool and he was greeted with banners emblazoned with ‘walk on, walk on’, a line from the anthem shared by both his old and new team’s fans.

Arne Slot enjoys a fond farewell at De Kuip. Photograph: PA Wire/PA

The Dutch club said goodbye to their coach on Sunday with an empathic 4-0 win in the home derby against Excelsior, two days after Slot confirmed that would be the next manager at Anfield. Supporters chanted Slot’s name for most of the match in a poignant farewell as Feyenoord finished second to PSV Eindhoven in the league standings.

The 45-year-old Slot had steered Feyenoord to only a second championship in 23 years when they won the title at the end of the 2022-23 season. They had no answer in this campaign to PSV, who lost only one of their 34 games and finished seven points ahead of second placed Feyenoord.

Quick Guide

How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?

Show

  • Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for ‘The Guardian’.
  • If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
  • In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
  • Turn on sport notifications.

Thank you for your feedback.

“I am extremely grateful for the memories I have made at this great club,” Slot told supporters after the match at De Kuip. “I owe the most thanks to the players who have always given everything for the club.”

He also thanked the Feyenoord fans, whose “huge support” he said he felt from his first day at the club. Slot, who won the Dutch Cup with Feyenoord this year, was coach of the Rotterdam team for three seasons.

“The level of appreciation that I have achieved here because of the performances … if that can ever be surpassed, I am really very privileged,” he added.

Paolo Montero will take charge of Serie A side Juventus for the remainder of the season, the club said on Sunday following the dismissal of Massimiliano Allegri.

Juventus sacked their former coach Allegri on Friday over his behaviour during and after this week’s Coppa Italia final in which he was sent off. Montero, who coaches Juventus’ Under-19s team, will manage their remaining two matches, at Bologna on Monday and against Monza at home on 26 May. The 52-year-old Uruguayan won four Serie A titles playing for Juventus as a defender from 1996 to 2005.

“Paolo is a Juventus legend, firstly on the pitch, and someone who has long been a bearer of the Club’s DNA on the bench,” the club said in a statement. “Best of luck, Paolo!”

This story will be updated

Continue Reading