RC Lens on Friday cut Paris Saint-Germain’s lead at the top of Ligue 1 to six points with a 2-0 win over Stade de Reims, although their fans were forced to stay away.
Teenage striker Arnaud Kalimuendo, on loan from PSG, scored both of Lens’ goals as they moved to 18 points.
PSG lead with 24 points from eight games and have a game in hand among the rest of the weekend’s matches.
Photo: Reuters
Lens were playing their second home match at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis behind closed doors following crowd trouble last month in the local derby with Lille OSC.
Kalimuendo, just 19, opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime from the penalty spot after a red card handed to Reims teenage winger Hugo Ekitike for dangerous play.
Kalimuendo added his second in the 52nd minute as Lens bounced back from a 1-0 loss to RC Strasbourg Alsace in their last, crowdless, home game.
Photo: AP
“We were in control. Obviously, with the penalty and the red card, it helped us to intensify our control,” Lens coach Franck Haise said. “To be second in the table heading into the international break, with an average of two points per game, it’s beautiful.”
SERIE A
AP, CAGLIARI, Sardinia
American midfielder Gianluca Busio on Friday scored a late equalizer to earn promoted Venezia a 1-1 draw against Cagliari.
Busio, one of three Americans at Venezia, saw his shot from the center of the area deflected in by defender Martin Caceres two minutes into stoppage-time for his first Serie A goal.
The 19-year-old Busio was born to an Italian father and American mother in North Carolina.
He joined Venezia in August from Sporting Kansas City.
Keita Balde put Cagliari in front with a header early on to become the top Senegalese scorer in the league’s history with his 40th — overtaking Khouma Babacar (39 goals), who now plays in Turkey.
LA LIGA
AP, BILBAO, Spain
Athletic Bilbao forward Raul Garcia on Friday scored to make amends for a squandered penalty and lead a 1-0 win over Deportivo Alaves on a record-setting night for teammate Inaki Williams.
Williams set a La Liga record with his 203rd consecutive appearance by playing the match at San Mames Stadium.
The Bilbao striker has not missed a league match for any reason since April 2016.
The prior mark was held by former Real Sociedad player Juan Larranaga.
In the early game yesterday, CA Osasuna defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0.
BUNDESLIGA
AP, BERLIN
Cologne’s on Friday completed a 3-1 come-from-behind win over promoted SpVgg Greuther Furth.
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