Mandzukic Heads Juventus Towards Title

Mandzukic scores for Juventus
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Juventus moved six points clear at the top of Serie A overnight after beating Empoli 1-0 on Saturday.

Mario Mandzukic scored the only goal before half-time to send Juventus further ahead of Napoli, who visit Udinese on Sunday.

Empoli had their chances and almost got off to a great start but Riccardo Saponara blazed over from close range.

Mandzukic put Juventus in front with a glancing header from a chipped Paul Pogba pass. It was the forward’s first goal for Juventus this year. Alvaro Morata had earlier sent a curling shot off the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Despite keeping a firm grip on top spot of Serie A, Juventus will be disappointed defender Giorgio Chiellini, who has only just returned from injury, limped off early in the second half.

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Bayern Stumble Past Juventus

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Bayern Munich battled back from two goals down then scored twice in extra time to beat Juventus 4-2 and reach the Champions League last eight with a 6-4 aggregate victory.

Thiago Alcântara drilled in after 108 minutes and Kingsley Coman curled in their fourth goal two minutes later as Bayern, who needed a 90th-minute equaliser from Thomas Müller to force extra time, kept up their treble hopes.

In a reverse of the first leg when Juve came back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2, Bayern scored twice in the second half. It was a bitter defeat for last season’s runners-up, Juve, who ran out of steam in extra time to leave domestic titles as their only potential silverware this season.

Robert Lewandowski headed in at the far post to reignite the home side’s hopes and trigger a dramatic finale in which Müller scored in almost identical fashion. Thiago came off the bench to put Bayern in front after a delightful interchange with Müller and his fellow substitute Coman, who had crossed for Müller’s equaliser at the end of normal time, completed a memorable comeback win. Coman is on loan from Juventus but there is no clause preventing him from playing against them.

The hosts had a golden chance after two minutes when Douglas Costa sent the former Juve player Arturo Vidal through but the Chilean’s poor first touch allowed Gianluigi Buffon to save. It was the Bianconeri who drew first blood with Paul Pogba capitalising on a David Alaba mistake to beat Manuel Neuer.

Bayern, who had not let in a first-half goal in their previous seven games in the competition, were rattled and Neuer almost gifted another goal after sending the ball straight to Álvaro Morata, whose looping effort was ruled offside. Morata, however, made a 40-metre run past four Bayern players to send Juan Cuadrado through for their second goal.

Bayern showed their first signs of life just before the break when Müller’s effort was saved by Buffon and the ball rolled narrowly wide from a Robert Lewandowski deflection. But Juve, who have let in only one goal in 12 Serie A matches this year, remained solid at the back and kept taking stabs at the shaky Bayern defence, Morata coming close again on the hour.

The Poland striker Lewandowski headed in at the far post for his eighth goal of the campaign in the 73rd minute, before Müller followed suit to set up the extra time.

The win means Pep Guardiola maintained his hopes of a Champions League title in his last season in Munich.

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Bayern Munich v Juventus - Preview

Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic is a doubt for his side's Champions League last-16 second leg against his former club Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

The Italians, who came from 2-0 down to draw the first leg 2-2 at home, will also be without striker Paulo Dybala and midfielder Claudio Marchisio.

Bayern rested key players Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski at the weekend.

"We're aware of how strong Bayern are, but they also possess weak points," Juve defender Leonardo Bonucci said.

"We go to Munich full of enthusiasm and determination to reach the next round.

"No doubt about it, we started the first leg in completely the wrong fashion. It had nothing to do with what formation we were playing - we knew that we had to give more.

"We confronted one another face to face and took it upon ourselves to come out fighting and, from that point onwards, we saw the true Juventus once more."

The tie looked all but over after 55 minutes of the first leg in Turin after away goals from Thomas Muller and Robben put a dominant Bayern in control.

But Juventus, Champions League finalists last season, fought back in the second half and levelled through strikes from Dybala and Stefano Sturaro.

Both sides are chasing a treble this season, with Bayern five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and Juventus three clear in Serie A.

"I know what will happen if we don't win the Champions League," said Bayern boss Pep Guardiola, who has been unable to win Europe's premier club competition in his two seasons with Bayern and who will leave them in the summer to take over at Manchester City.

"I have to live with the pressure. It's been like that for this club for the last 40 years: when we win, everyone is happy, when we don't, they are unhappy."

Of Juventus, the Spaniard added: "I know the Italian mentality and they have won a thousand titles with it - that's how it is."

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Suarez Set to Make Uruguay Return

Luis Suárez is set to play his first competitive international later in March since being banned for biting an opponent at the 2014 World Cup. The Barcelona player was called up on Friday for qualifiers against Brazil and Peru.

Suárez was suspended for nine games after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil.

He was among 28 players named in Óscar Tabárez’s squad to face Brazil away in Recife on 25 March and Peru in Montevideo four days later, the Uruguayan FA announced on Friday.

The uncapped Genoa midfielder Diego Laxalt and Manchester United right-back Guillermo Varela were called up for the first time.

Uruguay are second in the 10-team South American standings behind Ecuador with three wins in four games.

The top four qualify automatically for the 2018 finals in Russia, while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental play-off against a team from the Oceania zone.

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Mainz Take Pep Out of Bayern Step

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Bayern Munich suffered their first defeat for three months when the Bundesliga leaders lost 2-1 at home to Mainz. The Colombian Jhon Córdoba snatched the winner in the 86th minute.

Pep Guardiola’s team gave a lacklustre display and Mainz, who are fifth in the table, went 1-0 up when Jairo Samperio arrived at the far post to hammer Giulio Donati’s cross past Manuel Neuer in the 26th minute.

Bayern, who were last beaten by Borussia Mönchengladbach on 5 December, equalised with a 25-metre drive from Arjen Robben in the 64th minute. The winger was set up by Arturo Vidal and Robben controlled the ball before hitting a thunderous left-foot shot to score his first goal since November.

Bayern pushed for a second goal but Mainz hit them on the break when Daniel Brosinski found Julian Baumgartlinger and his cutback was converted from the edge of the area by Córdoba.

“The game was a clear indication that it’s not easy to win in the Bundesliga,” said the Bayern coach, Pep Guardiola. “Congratulations to Mainz for the victory. In the second half it wasn’t easy, with 10 players in their penalty area, but we had enough chances to win the game. We still have much work to do to defend our title.”

Bayern are on 62 points while Borussia Dortmund have 57 after they beat SV Darmstadt 2-0.

Adrian Ramos’ first-half header gave Dortmund a 38th-minute lead at Darmstadt, the striker flicking Gonzalo Castro’s fine curling ball past Christian Mathenia, before Erik Durm finished from close range after more good work by Castro.

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