Levante UD fought back to beat RCD Espanyol 2-1 at home on Friday to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation from the Spanish league.
Hernan Perez gave the visitors the lead in the seventh minute after controlling Victor Sanchez’s pass.
Giuseppe Rossi equalized for Levante in the 23rd when his free-kick, which was intended for a teammate, slipped through the defense and into the net.
Defender Carl Medjani completed the comeback when he volleyed in Joan Verdu’s free-kick in the 66th.
Levante provisionally rose out of last place and within two points of safety before the rest of the round’s matches. There will be five matches left after this round.
Espanyol was left in 15th after a second-consecutive defeat.
Leaders Barcelona host Valencia today, looking to end a three-game winless skid in the league after also exiting the Champions League.
Atletico Madrid, who ousted Barcelona from Europe’s top-tier tournament this week, trail the Catalan club by three points in the league before hosting Granada today.
Third-place Real Madrid were four points off the pace before yesterday’s match at Getafe.
BUNDESLIGA
AP, FRANKFURT, Germany
Last-place Hannover 96 gave themselves a glimmer of hope by beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0 in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Moenchengladbach’s hopes of securing a place in the Champions League next season were dented as they dropped to fifth provisionally.
Waldemar Anton and Artur Sobiech scored in the second half as Hannover earned their first home win after seven matches and gave interim coach Daniel Stendel his first three points. Stendel has a draw and a win in two matches.
However, Hannover remain at least nine points away from safety, with four matches remaining. The club could have been relegated this weekend with a loss.
Anton volleyed in a cross from Noah-Joel Sarenren-Bazee in the 49th and Sobiech completed the win by tapping in a rebound from the post from Kenan Karaman’s shot in the 60th.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two