Real Sociedad moved closer to a Champions League spot by defeating UD Las Palmas 1-0 after a blunder by the home side’s goalkeeper in La Liga action on Friday.
Veteran midfielder Xabi Prieto scored the 74th-minute winner from just outside the area after Las Palmas’ Geronimo Rulli made a mistake and passed the ball right to Prieto’s feet when under pressure from another Real Sociedad player inside the box.
Prieto fired a low shot into the open net as Rulli desperately tried to scramble back.
Photo: EPA
At the other end, Real Sociedad goalkeeper Javi Varas made key saves to secure the victory and move his team to within a point of fourth-place Atletico Madrid, who play Barcelona today.
The top three teams automatically qualify for the Champions League next season, while the fourth-place team have to go through a playoff.
LIGUE 1
AP, PARIS
In the absence of top scorers Alassane Plea and Mario Balotelli, title contenders OGC Nice found an unlikely savior as Mickael Le Bihan came off the bench to score twice in a comeback 2-1 win against Montpellier Herault on Friday.
The win moved Nice into second place and level on points with leaders AS Monaco ahead of the remainder of the weekend’s games.
With Plea injured and Balotelli suspended, Nice started with Greek striker Anastasios Donis, who is on loan from Juventus.
However, it was Le Bihan grabbing the headlines, 17 months after his previous appearance in the top flight. He had not played in Ligue 1 since sustaining a leg fracture in September 2015 during a league game against Girondins de Bordeaux.
With Nice trailing to a goal from striker Steve Mounie in the ninth minute, Le Bihan replaced Donis in the 59th minute and scored nine minutes later. He slotted home the winner with a composed finish four minutes from time, following a flowing move that started in Nice’s penalty area.
Nantes moved six points clear of the relegation zone with substitute Felipe Pardo scoring a goal in their 3-1 win over FCO Dijon. Yacine Bammou opened the scoring for Nantes, but a Leo Dubois own-goal made it 1-1.
Striker Emiliano Sala made it 2-1 from the spot near the hour mark and Pardo completed the win with 11 minutes remaining.
Elsewhere, Stade Malherbe Caen defeated AS Nancy-Lorraine 1-0.
BUNDESLIGA
AP, WOLFSBURG, Germany
Midfielder Serge Gnabry scored twice as Werder Bremen moved away from the Bundesliga relegation zone with a 2-1 win over VfL Wolfsburg on Friday.
Gnabry fired the visitors ahead with a deflected shot in the 10th minute and made it 2-0 eight minutes later, controlling the ball with his chest before prodding home on the volley.
Striker Borja Mayoral, who is on loan from Real Madrid, scored for Wolfsburg.
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Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
Taiwanese e-sports veteran Lin “ET” Chia-hung yesterday successfully defended his King of Fighters XV title at this year’s Evolution Championship Series: Japan (EVO Japan), securing his second consecutive championship. Lin claimed victory with a 3-1 win over Japanese pro gamer “mok” in the grand final, repeating his earlier 3-1 win against the same opponent in the winners’ final. The 40-year-old earned a ￥1 million (US$6,897) cash prize at the two-day tournament, which drew 294 competitors. Mok, Lin’s toughest rival in the bracket, took home ￥400,000 as runner-up. Lin remains undefeated in match sets against mok in King of Fighters XV, holding a 10-0 record,
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