Bayer Leverkusen won 3-1 at Borussia Moenchengladbach with two goals from Gonzalo Castro on Sunday to move into second place in the Bundesliga and cut Borussia Dortmund’s lead at the top to 11 points.
Leverkusen’s victory also marked the return to action of Germany captain Michael Ballack as a second-half substitute, after missing four months with a shinbone injury.
“It was a fantastic feeling to be on the pitch again,” the 34-year-old Ballack told reporters. “It was good to come on at 2-0 because it makes it easier for a substitute.”
Photo: EPA
The visitors looked to be cruising to an easy win when they struck in the 37th minute with Michal Kadlec’s curling free-kick, before unmarked Gonzalo Castro doubled their lead with a close-range header just before halftime.
’Gladbach, who twice hit the crossbar, struck back with arguably the best goal of the weekend through Austrian Martin Stranzl, who picked up the ball on the right and released an unstoppable shot over goalkeeper Rene Adler just past the hour, but with the hosts, anchored in last place, out in full force in search of an equalizer, Castro grabbed his second goal of the evening, rounding off a quick break with a chip in the 73rd minute.
In the other match on Sunday, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim grabbed a last-minute equalizer through David Alaba to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to relegation-threatened St Pauli, who thought they had won it when former Germany international Gerald Asamoah gave them a 2-1 lead in the 82nd minute.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
RSS