Barcelona’s attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann all got on the scoresheet for the first time together yesterday in a 3-0 win away to Sociedad Deportiva Eibar, which took the La Liga champions to the top of the table.
The Catalans lead the standings for the first time this season on 19 points after nine games, although Real Madrid, who had 18 points, could have retaken the top spot when they visited RCD Mallorca later yesterday.
Griezmann put Barca ahead in the 13th minute after a route-one move from his side as Clement Lenglet launched the ball from the heart of the defense downfield to release the France forward, who calmly slotted inside the near post.
Photo: EFE
The three forwards all combined for the next two goals in a sign that the trio are finally gelling after a stop-and-start season interrupted by injuries to Messi and Suarez.
Suarez brought the ball into the area for Griezmann to slide it across so that Messi could score in the 58th minute.
Griezmann was the architect of the third goal, rolling the ball from deep downfield into the path of Messi, who then squared for Suarez to tap into an empty net in the 66th minute.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
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