European club football: Ibrahimovic sets record but Milan lose at Udinese
Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history but it was not enough to prevent them suffering a 3-1 loss at Udinese on Saturday in a blow to the defending champions’ hopes of securing a top-four finish.
Milan missed the chance to jump to second and remained fourth with 48 points, a point clear of fifth-placed AS Roma, who play Lazio on Sunday. Udinese are eighth on 38 points.
Udinese took the lead after nine minutes when Lazar Samardzic intercepted a poor pass from Ismael Bennacer in midfield and surged forward into the box, where Roberto Pereyra latched on to the ball and slotted it into the right corner.
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There was confusion at the Dacia Arena when Milan striker Ibrahimovic first missed a penalty, after a handball late in the first half, before it was ordered to be retaken due to encroachment after play had already continued for a minute. The Swede did not miss a second time, converting four minutes into first-half stoppage time, to become the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history at 41 years and 166 days.
The celebrations were short-lived, however, as Beto put Udinese back ahead two minutes later when he converted an Isaac Success cross from close range. Udinese made sure of the win when an unmarked Kingsley Ehizibue tapped in a pass from Destiny Udogie at the back post in the 70th minute.
Borussia Dortmund climbed to the top of the Bundesliga after demolishing Cologne 6-1 on Saturday, with Sébastien Haller and captain Marco Reus both scoring twice. Dortmund underlined their title ambitions by blowing away their opponents during an explosive four-goal first half performance at home.
Dortmund are now on 53 points, one ahead of Bayern Munich who are face Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
Raphaël Guerreiro opened Dortmund’s account in the 15th minute after superb work down the wing from Donyell Malen. Haller then thundered in after a quick passing move two minutes later. With Cologne playing catch-up it was only a matter of time until Dortmund scored again and Reus superbly rifled in just after half an hour before Malen scored with a powerful shot that keeper Marvin Schwäbe could not keep out.
Cologne briefly came up for air in the 42nd minute when Davie Selke cut the deficit but despite a slower pace after the break Dortmund still struck twice in two minutes. Haller tucked in his second goal after a Mahmoud Dahoud free-kick bounced off the bar and Reus scored his 150th Bundesliga goal in the 70th.
Borussia Dortmund’s Sebastien Haller celebrates after scoring his side’s fifth goal against Cologne. Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP
“We showed a really good game today, we started well and instantly took control. The lads enjoyed themselves out there,” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic told a news conference. “We took a step in the right direction today, especially in terms of efficiency. Everyone performed really well and did not ease off at any moment, from keeper to striker.”
RB Leipzig suffered a shock 1-0 loss to strugglers Bochum to leave them eight points behind Dortmund four days after their Champions League exit.
Bochum grabbed the winner three minutes after the restart when Leipzig keeper Janis Blaswich parried a Takuma Asano header into the path of Erhan Masovic, who was left with a simple header into the net. Leipzig should have levelled just before the hour. André Silva, however, squandered two gilt-edged chances, including a simple tap-in at the far post.
Bochum keeper Manuel Riemann then tipped an Emil Forsberg header over the bar before denying Dani Olmo from close range in stoppage time but Leipzig’s best chance fell to Silva who hit the post after a solo effort. Leipzig are on 45 points in third place while Bochum move up to 14th on 25 points.
Atlético Madrid secured their third consecutive La Liga win with an easy 3-0 home victory against Valencia, as goals from Antoine Griezmann, Yannick Carrasco and Thomas Lemar extended their unbeaten run in the Spanish league to 10 games.
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An inspired Griezmann put Atlético ahead early with a close-range strike and Carrasco extended their advantage slotting home a precise shot right after the break.
Substitute Lemar wrapped up Atlético’s victory in the 67th minute, finishing beautifully from Álvaro Morata’s cross as Diego Simeone’s team produced another brilliant display.
Atlético climbed to 51 points and have tightened their grip on third place, six points clear of fourth-placed Real Sociedad and five behind Real Madrid in second, both with a game in hand. Struggling at the bottom of the table, Valencia are 17th on 26 points, level with Getafe and Almería but clear of the relegation zone on goal-difference.
Loïs Openda’s stunning return to form continued when the Belgium striker’s double helped RC Lens move up to second in Ligue 1 with a 3-0 home victory against bottom side Angers on Saturday.
Openda, who last weekend ended a two-month scoreless period by netting a hat-trick in five minutes against Clermont, struck both sides of the interval after Sekou Fofana’s opener.
The result put Lens on 57 points from 28 games, nine behind leaders Paris St Germain who host Stade Rennais on Sunday, and one ahead of Marseille. Marseille travel to Stade de Reims on Sunday. Angers, on 10 points, have now lost 22 games this season.
Fofana found the back of the net on 26 minutes with a low shot and Openda doubled the tally four minutes later from close range after being set up by Adrien Thomasson.
Openda was at it again soon after the interval when he collected Jonathan Gradit’s pass to score his fifth goal in two games. The 23-year-old has now scored 14 goals in Ligue 1 this season, a tally last reached by a Lens player in 1997-98 by Anto Drobnjak.