European Football: History-maker Eta's First Union Berlin Game Ends In Defeat

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

The 34-year-old Eta made historical past on Saturday when she grew to become the first lady to take cost of a males’s crew in one of many prime 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 purpose from Patrick Wimmer.

A Union Berlin fan holds a placard that reads: ‘Marie-Louise Eta Football Goddess UNVEU’ Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA

Second-bottom Wolfsburg They doubled their benefit a minute into the second half when Christian Eriksen arrange Dzenan Pejcinovic, earlier than former 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 offer the hosts a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund and reward the Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich, the prospect 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 prime and set to win their second successive league crown – though they should do it with out the Germany ahead Serge Gnabry, who may miss this summer time’s World Cup after tearing a muscle in his thigh.

Dortmund had been on the again foot all through with Kramaric scoring a Forty second-minute penalty to offer Hoffenheim a totally deserved lead. The guests confirmed no indicators of a comeback in the second half with Hoffenheim once more in full management of the game, till Serhou Guirassy acquired the ball on the fringe of the field and unleashed an unstoppable low drive to stage.

Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric scores a penalty – he struck twice from the spot – in opposition to Borussia Dortmund. Photograph: Uli Deck/AFP/Getty Images

But Kramaric scored from the spot once more in stoppage time, after a handball, to offer 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 in 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 game with 10 gamers. Both Hamburg’s and Werder’s assistant coaches had 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. Some of 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 football pitch,” Werder coach Daniel Thioune, who has additionally coached Hamburg in the previous, stated on the post-match press convention. “The risk of injury was very high. I saw that some things hit the players next to us.”

In Italy, Naples slim hopes of defending their Serie A league title all however ended with a 2-0 dwelling 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 Naples on 66. Milan are three factors behind earlier than their game at Hellas Verona on Sunday and Lazio are ninth in the desk on 47 factors.

Lazio took a sixth-minute lead via Matteo Cancellieri and will afford to spurn a penalty likelihood, with Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saving Mattia Zaccagni’s spot-kick, earlier than Toma Basic 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 dwelling facet again into the game and got here away victorious from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for the fourth successive season. Napoli had been jeered off by their followers.

Napoli keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic celebrates saving Mattia Zaccagni’s penalty. Photograph: Carlo Hermann/AFP/Getty Images

Rome drew 1-1 in opposition to coach Gian Piero Gasperini’s former crew Atalanta in a outcome that does little for both facet’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 troublesome week for Gasperini after a really public disagreement with director, and former Roma coach, Claudio Ranieri.

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

Massimiliano Allegri, in the meantime, has stated he’s not in the vacant Italy job. The Milan coach was shortly linked with the job, alongside the Napoli coach, Antonio Conte, after Gennaro Gattuso stepped down this month. “My career speaks for itself: changing jobs often isn’t 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 crew’s efficiency after a 2-0 loss at Lorient dealt a harmful blow to their hopes of Champions League football subsequent season. Goals from Panos Katseris and Bamba Dieng secured victory for Lorient in Brittany and left Marseille in hazard of dropping additional floor in the race for computerized Champions League qualification.

Habib Beye’s crew are a degree behind third-placed Lille, who host Nice in a while Saturday, and Marseille may additionally end the weekend trailing Lyon and Rennes. Only the highest three in France are assured a spot in Europe’s prime club competitors.

Benatia, who’s leaving the club on the finish of the season, faces the gamers as Marseille misplaced for the third time in 4 matches, saying: “I didn’t plan on speaking again until the end of the year because I think we’ve talked too much over the first six months… but when I see the game we played today, even though I don’t want to talk, I have to come before the press, because it’s a scandal.

“You’re playing Lorientwho have nothing left to play for, and you don’t win a single duel, you don’t make a single run forward, you’re not proactive, you don’t try anything, and you just watch them. In the stadium, they’re doing the ‘olé’ because they’re nutmegging you, dribbling past you… Yep, that’s the truth.

“How many [of our players] went into the dressing room afterwards and flipped over the table? Zero, nobody. Everything is spotless, the bottles are right where they belong, all that. So basically, you play for Marseille, you have a game like that, and you just accept it?” Benatia smoked.

In Spain, Royal Society goalkeeper Unai Marrero was the hero with two penalty saves in the shoot-out to safe victory over Athletic Madrid in the Copa del Rey closing.