European roundup: Bayern lose further ground, Milan beat eight-man Lazio
Freiburg’s Lucas Höler scored an 87th-minute equaliser to snatch a 2-2 draw against visitors Bayern Munich, whose Bundesliga title hopes suffered a further blow.
The result left champions Bayern seven points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who can pull further ahead with a win over Cologne on Sunday.
Bayern, preparing to host Lazio in their Champions League last 16 second leg next week, suffered a nightmare start with the hosts finding spaces to attack and needed goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to make a string of outstanding early saves.
“We played completely without structure [in the first half],” said the Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel. “We were not disciplined. We were not in our positions, we lost possession going forward and allowed them to counterattack.”
Freiburg took the lead in the12th minute. Neuer spectacularly palmed a Roland Sallai header away, but the Hungarian’s bicycle kick from the rebound came back off the post for Christian Guenter to rifle in.
The hosts had half a dozen chances to score again in a strong half hour before Bayern struck against the run of play with an unstoppable long-range shot from Mathys Tel in the 35th minute.
The visitors looked sharper after the break and came close with Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane before the former launched a solo run down the left, cut into the box and curled a low shot past the Freiburg goalkeeper to compete their comeback.
Freiburg levelled with three minutes to go thanks to a fine turn and shot in the box from Höler. Bayern have now managed just one win from their last four league games.
A late goal by Noah Okafor earned Milan a 1-0 win at Lazio in Serie A after a chaotic end to the game in which the hosts were reduced to eight men in stoppage time.
Milan dominate possession throughout and substitute Okafor broke Lazio’s resistance in the 88th minute by firing home from near the penalty spot, after his initial shot was saved by the Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.
Lazio were reduced to 10 men just before the hour mark when defender Luca Pellegrini received a second booking for a foul on Christian Pulisic. The hosts ended the match with eight players after defender Adam Marusic was also sent off for a challenge on Rafael Leão in stoppage time and midfielder Matteo Guendouzi saw a straight red for retaliating after being pulled back by Pulisic.
Another four Lazio players were booked, while five Milan players were shown a yellow card on a bad-tempered evening which saw players from both sides squaring up to each other at the final whistle.
Kylian Mbappé was substituted for the second game in succession as Paris Saint-Germain failed to hit the target for only the second time since September in a 0-0 draw with Monaco in Ligue 1.
Despite the visitors dominating possession, Monaco came closest to opening the scoring during the first half, with the PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma keeping the hosts at bay. PSG looked more dangerous in the second half after Mbappé was replaced at the interval, but Bradley Barcola and Vitinha could not find a way past Radoslaw Majecki.
The PSG coach Luis Enrique said: “Sooner or later we’ll have to get used to playing without Kylian. I have to take the best decisions for the team.”
PSG next play at Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, where they hold a 2-0 lead. PSG are now 12 points clear of second-placed Brest while Monaco, still winless at home this year, remain third.