Jorge Molina and Jaime Mata each scored two goals on Friday as Getafe routed Deportivo Alaves 4-0 to win the clash of this season’s La Liga surprise packages.
The victory pulled sixth-place Getafe to within one point of Alaves in fifth after 20 games.
“It was an important match for us given where we both are in the standings,” Molina said. “Our goal remains the same, going forward game by game and trying to string wins together.”
Photo: AFP
Hosts Getafe dominated from the start, creating several scoring chances before Mata struck from the penalty spot after Guillermo Maripan fouled Sebastian Cristoforo.
Molina made it 2-0 just after halftime when he blasted a right-foot shot from outside the box over goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco.
He grabbed his second from close range following a long throw knocked on to him by Mata, who capped the win with a shot that took a slight deflection off a defender with two minutes left.
The 36-year-old Molina is Getafe’s top scorer this season with eight league goals.
It was the worst loss of the campaign for Alaves.
“We were very weak in defense and our defense is what defines this team,” Maripan said.
BUNDESLIGA
AP, SINSHEIM, Germany
Bayern Munich on Friday got the Bundesliga back under way with a 3-1 win at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim to deliver a statement of intent to leaders Borussia Dortmund.
Robert Lewandowski sealed the victory late on to cut the gap on his former team to three points after 18 games.
It was the defending champions’ sixth league win in succession, stabilizing the side after an early season wobble.
“We’re the chasers and we want to hunt them,” Bayern coach Niko Kovac said. “We want to be champions.”
Leon Goretzka scored twice in the first half, the first from a rebound, then after a corner, as Bayern performed impressively in the league’s first match after a winter break of almost four weeks.
“It was really important to start the second half of the season well,” Goretzka said.
Hoffenheim, which had been dominated for much of the first half, pulled one back through Nico Schulz just before the hour.
Bayern captain Manuel Neuer then produced a brilliant save to deny Adam Szalai an equalizer with seven minutes remaining.
Lewandowski struck four minutes later with his 11th goal in the league this season, a simple finish after Thomas Mueller crossed from the right.
Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann said his side were too timid at the start and acknowledged Bayern’s win was “fully deserved.”
Canadian teen Alphonso Davies, who this month completed his US$22 million transfer from the Vancouver Whitecaps, remained on the bench for Bayern and must wait for his league debut.
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