European round-up: Bayern, Madrid & Napoli held as PSG & Milan win

There were some big results across Europe on Saturday.

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Bayern Munich

Saturday’s spectacle of football served up some big matches across Europe’s top leagues.

A top-of-the-table clash took place between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, with the hosts needing to win to close the gap to their rivals at the top.

Real Madrid were looking to keep their charge at the top of LaLiga alive against Osasuna having drawn to rivals Atletico last time out.

Serie A leaders Napoli travelled to Lazio in what is a test for any team across Italy.

In the late games, AC Milan hosted Hellas Verona and Toulouse took on Paris Saint-Germain.

Read on to see the results from across the continent.

Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern Munich

Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich battled to a goalless draw at the BayArena, with the result keeping Bayern eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen came closest to scoring, hitting the woodwork twice in quick succession during the first half.

Jeremie Frimpong and Nathan Tella both rattled the crossbar, while the latter also saw a header cleared off the line by Hiroki Ito in the second half.

Florian Wirtz attempted an audacious strike from midfield that drifted narrowly wide, while in the dying moments, Amine Adli’s volley was spectacularly denied by Neuer, ensuring Bayern escaped with a point.

Bayern struggled to create any meaningful opportunities, with Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise barely touching the ball in dangerous areas. Their lack of attacking threat meant Lukas Hradecky had little to do in the Leverkusen goal.

Osasuna 1-1 Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s La Liga title ambitions took a hit as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Osasuna.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side started strongly, with Kylian Mbappe putting them ahead in the 15th minute.

Federico Valverde’s surging run down the right created space, allowing him to cut the ball back for Mbappe, who finished for his 17th La Liga goal of the season.

However, the game’s turning point came just before half-time when Bellingham was shown a straight red card for dissent. The England international’s protests over a free-kick decision led referee Montero to send him off, leaving Madrid with ten men for the entire second half.

Osasuna capitalised on their numerical advantage and equalized in the 58th minute through Ante Budimir’s penalty. Eduardo Camavinga was adjudged to have fouled Budimir inside the box following a VAR review, and the striker coolly slotted his spot-kick down the middle past Thibaut Courtois.

Despite late chances, including a stoppage-time effort from Mbappe that was denied by Herrera, Madrid could not find a winner.

The draw extends their lead at the top to just one point with Atletico also drawing but Barcelona can go top with a win on Monday.

Lazio 2-2 Napoli

Napoli’s struggles to hold onto leads continued as they let another advantage slip in a 2-2 draw against Lazio at Stadio Olimpico.

For the third consecutive Serie A match, the Partenopei failed to secure three points after going in front, leaving both sides frustrated in a result that benefits neither.

Lazio took the lead just six minutes in when Gustav Isaksen fired home off the crossbar. However, a poor clearance from Ivan Provedel gifted Napoli an equaliser seven minutes later, as Giacomo Raspadori combined with Romelu Lukaku before drilling a low shot through the Lazio keeper’s legs.

Napoli eventually took the lead in scrappy fashion just past the hour mark, as a deflected ball off Adam Marusic ended up in the Lazio net. However, their advantage didn’t last, as Boulaye Dia levelled the game in the 87th minute after a clever assist from Mattia Zaccagni.

AC Milan 1-0 Hellas Verona

AC Milan secured a hard-earned 1-0 victory over a resolute Hellas Verona side at San Siro, with Santiago Gimenez’s late header proving the difference.

Milan dominated possession and created the better chances, but Verona’s physical approach disrupted their rhythm. Joao Felix, Tijjani Reijnders, and Yunus Musah all tested Lorenzo Montipo in the first half, but the visitors held firm.

Milan thought they had broken through in the 33rd minute when Gimenez latched onto a Malick Thiaw through ball and found the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

Verona, meanwhile, struggled to generate attacking momentum, relying instead on their aggressive defensive strategy, which saw them commit several fouls.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 75th minute when Rafael Leao showed brilliant awareness to clip a pass over Montipo, allowing Gimenez to nod into an empty net. Musah nearly doubled the lead moments later with a stunning long-range effort that skimmed the crossbar.

Toulouse 0-1 PSG

Paris Saint-Germain secured a 1-0 win over a resilient Toulouse side, with Fabian Ruiz’s second-half goal the only strike in the match.

The first half saw chances for both teams, with Toulouse looking the more dangerous early on. Magri and Cresswell both tested PSG keeper Safonov, while at the other end, Beraldo saw a powerful strike tipped onto the post.

Barcola also had a golden opportunity in a one-on-one situation, but Toulouse’s keeper Restes made a crucial save to keep the score level at the break.

PSG began to dominate proceedings in the second half and were rewarded in the 52nd minute. A corner from the right found Pacho, whose header rattled the crossbar, but the rebound fell kindly to Ruiz, who slotted home from close range to break the deadlock.

The visitors could have extended their lead with further chances falling to Barcola and Lee, but both failed to convert. Barcola, in particular, was denied twice by excellent goalkeeping from Haug, while Doue struck the post with an open goal at his mercy.

Despite Toulouse’s late push for an equaliser, PSG held on to claim all three points.

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Picture of Mitch Fretton

Mitch Fretton

Mitch is a freelance sports journalist with experience working for LiveScore, GOAL and Colchester United. He has experience working from both his desk at home and in the press box at games covering the Champions League and international football.

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