• Thursday, 13 March 2025

Mbappe's equaliser see Real maintain top spot, Milan edge out Empoli

Mbappe's equaliser see Real maintain top spot, Milan edge out Empoli

London, 9 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Real Madrid stayed a point ahead of Atletico Madrid at the top of LaLiga as Kylian Mbappe’s equaliser earned the champions a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s derby at the Bernabeu.

Julian Alvarez had put Atletico in front in the 35th minute with a Panenka-style penalty awarded via video assistant referee, with Aurelien Tchouameni adjudged to have fouled Samuel Lino.

Mbappe levelled five minutes into the second half, firing in his 16th league goal of the season.

Oihan Sanchez notched a hat-trick, started with a penalty, as fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao won 3-0 at home against Girona, while Villarreal, in fifth, were 2-1 victors at Las Palmas.

Earlier, Celta Vigo fought back from 2-0 down to triumph 3-2 at home against Real Betis, with Williot Swedberg netting an 87th-minute winner.

In Serie A, Mateo Retegui hit four goals for Atalanta in a 5-0 victory at Verona. The win put them four points behind table-toppers Napoli and one behind second-placed Inter Milan ahead of those sides playing on Sunday and Monday respectively.

AC Milan moved up a place to seventh with a 2-0 win at Empoli after having Fikayo Tomori sent off in the 55th minute.

Empoli’s Luca Marianucci was dismissed 10 minutes later, after which Milan swiftly took the lead via Rafael Leao, with Santiago Gimenez then adding the visitors’ second.

Torino and Genoa shared the points as they drew 1-1 at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

In Ligue 1, Nice are up to third following a 2-0 home win over Lens, who lost Facundo Medina to a red card between the hosts’ two goals.

Le Havre moved off the foot of the table with a 2-1 triumph at Lille, their first victory since November, and Rennes rose from 15th to 11th with a 2-0 win at 16th-placed St Etienne.