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European Football wrap: Best player, biggest upset & more

Sport360 staff 01:06 05/04/2017
A busy night of league action in Germany and England.

BUNDESLIGA

Runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich had their 20-match unbeaten run in all competitions ended at Hoffenheim on Tuesday as striker Andrej Kramaric’s winner sealed the hosts’ 1-0 victory.

Bayern’s run came to an end a week before their mouth-watering Champions League home leg quarter-final against Real Madrid.

This was Bayern’s first loss since going down 3-2 at Russia’s Rostov in a Champions League group game last November.

It was also only their second defeat in 27 German league games having also stumbled at Borussia Dortmund.

Borussia Dortmund remain fourth after their 3-0 win over resurgent Hamburg, who suffered their first defeat in five games.

Dortmund took the lead when midfielder Gonzalo Castro’s long-range free-kick wrong footed Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Alder on 13 minutes.

Japan midfielder Shinji Kawaga scored his first German league goal this season when he slotted home after being set up by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang nine minutes from time.

Aubameyang then broke free, rounded Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler to net Dortmund’s third in the 93rd minute.

The Gabon hot-shot has now scored in his last seven games.

Schalke suffered their first defeat to Werder Bremen in nine years in losing 3-0 away.

PREMIER LEAGUE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return from suspension with a 94th-minute penalty to earn Manchester United a 1-1 draw against Everton at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

A deliberate handball by Ashley Williams, who was sent off, allowed Ibrahimovic to cancel out Phil Jagielka’s opener and extend United’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to 20 matches.

But it remained an unwelcome result for Jose Mourinho’s side, who have now drawn nine games at home this season and trail fourth-place Manchester City by four points.

Leicester City moved within touching distance of Premier League safety and piled more misery on Sunderland manager David Moyes with a 2-0 victory over the strugglers on Tuesday.

Craig Shakespeare now has five wins in five games as Leicester manager after substitute Islam Slimani and England striker Jamie Vardy struck in the second half.

Meanwhile, George Boyd lifted Burnley away from the Premier League relegation zone as the Scotland winger sealed a 1-0 home win over Stoke on Tuesday.

Troy Deeney scored his 100th league goal for Watford as they took a significant step towards Premier League survival on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

MOST DOMINATING WIN – BORUSSIA DORTMUND

The Yellows were resurgent on Tuesday night and Thomas Tuchel’s men did well to see off an in-form Hamburg side with ease.

BIGGEST UPSET – HOFFENHEIM’S WIN OVER BAYERN

OK, Hoffenheim are third in the Bundesliga table, but a league defeat for Bayern doesn’t happen often.

In fact, it was only their second away league defeat of the campaign and incidentally Hoffenheim’s first-ever victory over Bayern.

BEST CONTEST – MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 EVERTON 

It was an absorbing encounter and a draw, it has to be said, was a fair result.

BEST GOAL – ANDREJ KRAMARIC

The 25-year-old’s winning goal for Hoffenheim was a truly stunning strike.

Kramaric leathered the ball home from the edge of the penalty area and although it was a brilliant shot, goalkeeper Sven Ulreich may think he could have done better.

PLAYER OF THE DAY – ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

It wasn’t vintage Zlatan but the Swede rescued United late on and Jose Mourinho will be glad to have the veteran striker back in his line-up.

BIGGEST BLUNDER – SUNDERLAND

Not quite an individual blunder – but collectively – Sunderland were woeful again as they lost at Leicester.

It looks bleak for David Moyes’ men as the Black Cats remain eight points from safety with eight games left to play.

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