(Reuters) – Talking points from the weekend in European soccer leagues:
SERIE A FAVOURITES STRUGGLE AFTER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ACTION
Three Serie A sides will continue their Champions League campaigns in the quarter-finals next week but things did not go to plan for any of them in domestic action over the weekend.
AC Milan and Napoli were held to disappointing draws against Bologna and Hellas Verona respectively, while Inter Milan suffered a shock loss at home to promoted side Monza.
It was Inter’s fourth defeat in their last five league outings as they failed to get back into the top four, while they also lost three consecutive home games in Serie A without scoring for the first time ever.
Runaway leaders Napoli, meanwhile, managed to convert their lion’s share of possession against Verona into just one shot on target, ending the game goalless.
All three teams will play their deciding European clashes next week, with Milan defending a one-goal advantage at Napoli while Inter have a two-goal lead at home to Benfica.
BAYERN AND DORTMUND BOTH SLIP UP IN TENSE TITLE RACE
Two points still separate Bundesliga title rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund after both sides failed to win.
Bayern were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were sluggish without the suspended Sadio Mane, which will be a cause for concern as they look to overhaul a 3-0 deficit in the Champions League quarter-finals versus Manchester City in the return leg in Munich on Wednesday.
But Bayern were allowed to breathe easier when Dortmund shot themselves in the foot by squandering a 2-0 lead and conceding a 97th-minute equaliser to draw 3-3 with 10-man VfB Stuttgart.
A win would have seen Dortmund go level with Bayern but their draw left coach Edin Terzic frustrated.
“We thought we had already experienced dumb things this season, but this tops everything,” he said.
BARCELONA STUCK IN A RUT AHEAD OF ATLETICO VISIT
Barcelona have had one hand on the LaLiga title for quite some time but two consecutive 0-0 draws will have Xavi’s side looking nervously over their shoulder despite their 11-point lead over Real Madrid with nine games to go.
The goalless draw at Getafe on Sunday marked the first time Barcelona had two consecutive 0-0 results since September 1993, with Xavi blaming the dry pitch conditions and even the fact that they had to play in bright sunshine for their failings.
Without the injured Pedri and Ousmane Dembele, Barca are struggling to get the best out of LaLiga top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has one goal in his last six league games.
Up next are high-flying Atletico Madrid, who won 2-1 at home to Almeria on Sunday for a sixth straight victory and their 13th league game in a row unbeaten.
Barca have by far the best defensive record in LaLiga, having conceded only nine timess, but Xavi knows stopping third-placed Atletico from scoring will be no mean feat even though they were the last team to deny them a goal in January.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska and Rohith Nair; Editing by Ken Ferris)
