Europe: Inter end Napoli’s record unbeaten start

Serie A leaders Napoli lost for the first time this season as Inter Milan reinvigorated their own title bid with a 3-2 win at the San Siro.

Inter, the defending champions, cut the gap on Napoli and AC Milan to four points and ended Napoli’s status as the last remaining unbeaten team across Europe’s five major leagues, a day after Milan were beaten 4-3 by Fiorentina.

Dries Mertens, who had set up a pulsating finale with Napoli’s late second goal, missed the chance to equalise in injury time when he blazed a shot over.

It was Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti’s first return to the San Siro since he was fired by Inter despite leading them to a fourth-place finish in 2019.

Lautaro Martinez netted the winning goal on the counter attack after an hour, set up by compatriot Joaquin Correa, who ran almost from one area to the other to make the goal.

Inter Milan's victory moved them four points off the league leaders
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Inter Milan’s victory moved them four points off the league leaders

Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic preserved the victory with a brilliant save to deny Mario Rui in injury time, turning the ball onto the crossbar, before Mertens’ miss.

The visitors had struck first in the 17th when Piotr Zielinski won possession from Nicolo Barella, then ran forward to smash the ball from Lorenzo Insigne’s pass in under the crossbar.

Hakan Calhanoglu levelled with a penalty, awarded after Kalidou Koulibaly was penalised by VAR for hand ball after blocking Barella’s shot with his left arm.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi was booked for his furious reaction before the spot-kick was eventually awarded and scored, as was Koulibaly.

It prompted a furious reaction before the break, when Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina denied Barella. Inter scored from the resulting corner just before the interval, when Ospina was powerless to keep out Ivan Perisic’s header at the near post.

Martinez scored but Mertens ensured a lively finale when he pulled one back in the 78th minute with a brilliant shot in under the crossbar. It was his 137th goal for Napoli.

There was another holdup for another clash of heads, between Ospina and Inter striker Edin Džeko. Both continued with bandaged heads to see the late drama.

Earlier, a penalty from Brazilian forward Joao Pedro helped Cagliari off the bottom of the table with a 2-2 draw at Sassuolo.

Sampdoria’s 2-0 win at Salernitana left the promoted side bottom in Cagliari’s place.

Nigerian forward David Okereke’s second-half goal was enough for Venezia to come away from Bologna with a surprise 1-0 win.

La Liga: Real Madrid keep up momentum with big win

Ferland Mendy's goal was his first in La Liga this season
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Ferland Mendy’s goal was his first in La Liga this season

Real Madrid kept their momentum from before the international break by cruising to a 4-1 win over 10-man Granada to reclaim top spot in La Liga.

Marco Asensio, Nacho Fernandez, Vinicius Junior and Ferland Mendy all scored to give Madrid a fourth straight victory in all competitions.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team reached 30 points from 13 league matches, two points more than both Sevilla and Real Sociedad.

Granada were a man down from the 67th as midfielder Ramon Rodriguez was sent off for a late challenge on Vinicius Junior, and head coach Robert Moreno was later sent off for dissent.

The victory extended Madrid’s unbeaten streak to seven matches in all competitions ahead of their Champions League visit to Sheriff on Wednesday.

Asensio put Madrid ahead from inside the area in the 19th minute from a pass by Kroos, who also set up Nacho’s goal shortly after. Vinicius Junior added to the lead after good work by Karim Benzema and Luka Modric after half-time, and Ferland Mendy ended the scoring 15 minutes from time.

Granada’s only goal came in the 34th when a low shot by forward Luis Suarez from outside the area deflected off Nacho before going in.

Elsewhere Getafe beat Cadiz 4-0 at home to move off the bottom of the table.

It was only Getafe’s second victory this season, after starting the campaign with a run of seven straight defeats.

The result moved the Madrid club two points ahead of last-placed Levante, who drew 0-0 against Athletic Bilbao on Friday.

Cadiz, previously unbeaten in three league matches, stayed in 16th place, one point above the relegation zone.

Ligue 1: Nice up to second with Clermont win

Amine Gouiri has now scored eight goals in 14 Ligue 1 games this season
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Amine Gouiri has now scored eight goals in 14 Ligue 1 games this season

Amine Gouiri scored twice as Nice rallied past Clermont 2-1 to climb to second in Ligue 1, 11 points behind PSG.

A late double from Gouiri completed the turnaround to lift Nice up the table, first levelling from Florent Ogier’s early strike with 13 minutes to go before adding his eighth league goal of the season by controlling a corner and guiding the ball into the far corner.

Clermont’s fourth straight defeat sees them fall into the relegation zone. The hosts had dominated the first half and took the lead early on when Ogier headed in a Jason Berthomier free-kick.

Nice goalkeeper Walter Benitez limited their advantage, keeping out efforts from Vital Nsimba, Jim Allevinah, Johan Gastien and Salis Abdul Samed.

And after half-time they finally struck, bouncing back from a shock defeat to Montpellier before the international break to move above Rennes in the table.

Elsewhere Brest earned a third straight league win by stunning Lens 4-0 to move away from the relegation zone. Lens provisionally dropped to fourth place, two points behind Nice.

Benin striker Steve Mounie opened the scoring in the third minute, heading home a deflected cross from Jeremy Le Douaron. Brest captain Brendan Chardonnet then doubled the lead when he diverted in a corner with his back.

Brest moved up to 13th in Ligue 1 with their crushing victory
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Brest moved up to 13th in Ligue 1 with their crushing victory

Romain Faivre notched his fifth goal this season with a curling shot from the edge of the box to make it 3-0 before half-time, and Le Douaron put the result beyond doubt shortly after the hour by holding off Kevin Danso to fire into the top corner.

Lens were then reduced to 10 men when substitute Arnaud Kalimuendo was sent off for a tackle from behind on Ronael Pierre-Gabriel.

Angers moved into sixth place by edging Lorient 1-0 thanks to a Thomas Mangani penalty.

Strasbourg equalised with the last kick of the game in a 1-1 draw with Reims as substitute Jean-Ricner Bellegarde curled home a free kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Saint-Etienne remained in the relegation zone despite beating Troyes 1-0 with a powerful long-range strike from Peru defender Miguel Trauco.

Opa Nguette came off the bench and scored twice to help bottom side Metz rally from a 2-0 deficit and draw 3-3 with Bordeaux. Nguette fired in from close-range after a corner shortly after the break before scoring the equaliser with a looping header.

Bundesliga: Frankfurt continue revival at Freiburg

Frankfurt kept up their revival to go 11th in the Bundesliga
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Frankfurt kept up their revival to go 11th in the Bundesliga

Eintracht Frankfurt’s revival under new coach Oliver Glasner continued with a 2-0 win at third-placed Freiburg.

It was Freiburg’s first defeat in the third league game since they moved to a new stadium, and a second straight loss in the league after a 2-1 reverse at leaders Bayern Munich before the international break.

First-half goals from Jesper Lindstrom and Filip Kostic gave Frankfurt a third successive win across all competitions.

Christian Streich’s team had the better chances early on but the visitors had luck on their side as Freiburg’s Lukas Kubler inadvertently set up Lindstrom for the opener. Then, a free-kick from Kostic was somehow missed by team-mates and defenders alike before it bounced into the top corner.

Freiburg remain third, but Bayer Leverkusen are now only a point behind, with Union Berlin and Wolfsburg another point further back. Frankfurt climbed to 11th in the 18-team division, ahead of Cologne, who drew 1-1 at Mainz in the late game, on goal difference.

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