European football: History-maker Eta’s first Union Berlin game ends in defeat | European club football

Marie-Louise Eta’s landmark first match as interim head coach of Union Berlin led to a 2-1 Bundesliga defeat at house to relegation-threatened Wolfsburg.

The 34-year-old Eta made historical past on Saturday when she turned the primary girl to take cost of a males’s staff in one of many high 5 European leagues. Union Berlin, who turned to Eta for the remainder of the season after sacking Steffen Baumgart final weekend, fell behind to an Eleventh-minute objective from Patrick Wimmer.

Second-bottom Wolfsburg doubled their benefit a minute into the second half when Christian Eriksen arrange Dzenan Pejcinovic, earlier than the previous Nottingham Forest ahead Oliver Burke halved the deficit late on.

Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric scored two penalties, together with one deep in second-half stoppage time, to provide the hosts a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund and reward the Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich, the possibility to wrap up the title with a win or a draw over Stuttgart on Sunday.

Dortmund are on 64 factors with 4 matches left, whereas Bayern are 12 clear on the high and set to win their second successive league crown – although they must do it with out the Germany ahead Serge Gnabry, who might miss this summer season’s World Cup after tearing a muscle in his thigh.

Dortmund have been on the again foot all through with Kramaric scoring a Forty second-minute penalty to provide Hoffenheim a completely deserved lead. The guests confirmed no indicators of a comeback within the second half with Hoffenheim once more in full management of the sport, till Serhou Guirassy received the ball on the fringe of the field and unleashed an unstoppable low drive to degree.

However Kramaric scored from the spot once more in stoppage time, after a handball, to provide the hosts the three factors. Hoffenheim moved as much as fifth place on 54, two behind fourth place, the final spot for a Champions League spot subsequent season.

Hamburg followers lit flares and fires within the stadium and clashed with police on the finish of Werder Bremen’s 3-1 win over their visiting northern rivals. With each groups battling to keep away from the drop, tensions ran excessive on and off the pitch and Hamburg completed the sport with 10 gamers. Each Hamburg’s and Werder’s assistant coaches have been additionally despatched off in stoppage time.

Straight after the ultimate whistle, Hamburg followers lit flares and fired projectiles throughout the pitch and into the stands of the house followers, whereas additionally lighting fires, earlier than police moved in to clear the tribune, clashing with the visiting followers. Among the flares flew not removed from Werder gamers nonetheless on the pitch on the time.

“When boundaries are crossed, that doesn’t belong on the soccer pitch,” Werder coach Daniel Thioune, who has additionally coached Hamburg previously, stated on the post-match press convention. “The chance of damage was very excessive. I noticed that some issues hit the gamers subsequent to us.”

In Italy, Napoli’s slim hopes of defending their Serie A league title all however ended with a 2-0 house defeat by Lazio that left them 12 factors adrift of leaders Inter Milan with 5 video games left. Inter, who beat Cagliari 3-0 on Friday, are on 78 factors, with Napoli on 66. Milan are three factors behind earlier than their recreation at Hellas Verona on Sunday and Lazio are ninth within the desk on 47 factors.

Lazio took a sixth-minute lead by way of Matteo Cancellieri and will afford to spurn a penalty probability, with Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saving Mattia Zaccagni’s spot-kick, earlier than Toma Primary doubled their benefit 12 minutes after the break.

Lazio, managed by the previous Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri, by no means appeared like permitting a sluggish house aspect again into the sport and got here away victorious from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for the fourth successive season. Napoli have been jeered off by their followers.

Roma drew 1-1 towards coach Gian Piero Gasperini’s former staff Atalanta in a consequence that does little for both aspect’s Champions League hopes. Gasperini was decreased to tears when speaking about his 9 years with Atalanta in a press convention on Friday. It has been a tough week for Gasperini after a really public disagreement with director, and former Roma coach, Claudio Ranieri.

Mario Hermoso’s implausible volley on the stroke of half-time canceled out Nikola Krstovic’s opener for Atalanta. Hermoso virtually snatched all three factors for Roma late on however his header bounced off the highest of the crossbar. The consequence leaves Roma two factors behind fourth-placed Juventus, who host Bologna on Sunday.

Massimiliano Allegri, in the meantime, has stated he isn’t within the vacant Italy job. The Milan coach was rapidly linked with the job, alongside the Napoli coach, Antonio Conte, after Gennaro Gattuso stepped down this month. “My profession speaks for itself: altering jobs typically isn’t a part of my DNA,” Allegri stated earlier than Sunday’s Serie A fixture at Verona.

In France, Medhi Benatia, Marseille’s sporting director, attacked the staff’s efficiency after a 2-0 loss at Lorient dealt a dangerous blow to their hopes of Champions League soccer subsequent season. Targets from Panos Katseris and Bamba Dieng secured victory for Lorient in Brittany and left Marseille at risk of shedding additional floor within the race for computerized Champions League qualification.

Habib Beye’s staff are a degree behind third-placed Lille, who host Good in a while Saturday, and Marseille might additionally end the weekend trailing Lyon and Rennes. Solely the highest three in France are assured a spot in Europe’s high membership competitors.

Benatia, who’s leaving the membership on the finish of the season, tore into the gamers as Marseille misplaced for the third time in 4 matches, saying: “I didn’t plan on talking once more till the top of the yr as a result of I believe we’ve talked far an excessive amount of over the primary six months … however after I see the sport we performed at present, regardless that I don’t wish to speak, I’ve to return earlier than the press, as a result of it’s a scandal. It’s a scandal.

“You’re taking part in Lorient, who don’t have anything left to play for, and also you don’t win a single duel, you don’t make a single run ahead, you’re not proactive, you don’t strive something, and also you simply watch them. Within the stadium, they’re doing the ‘olé’ as a result of they’re nutmegging you, dribbling previous you … Yep, that’s the reality.

“What number of [of our players] went into the dressing room afterwards and flipped over the desk? Zero, no person. Every thing is spotless, the bottles are proper the place they belong, all that. So principally, you play for Marseille, you will have a recreation like that, and also you simply settle for it?” Benatia fumed.

In Spain, Actual Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero was the hero with two penalty saves within the shoot-out to safe victory over Atlético Madrid within the Copa del Rey remaining.