Liverpool Back at Summit - European League Wrap

By Julius Ross

After a week of FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the world’s finest football leagues returned to action, with players showing no sign of fatigue from their international duties.

LIVERPOOL GO TOP

Liverpool kept their Premier League title dreams alive on Saturday in the most dramatic fashion as Yossi Benayoun netted a 91st minute winner at Fulham.

The Reds leap-frogged Manchester United to lead Sir Alex Ferguson’s men by two points, with the victory piling further pressure on United to win their two games in hand, including Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa.

Rafa Benitez’ men played some delightful football to consolidate their title credentials, but were unable to breach a solid Fulham defence and the woodwork, until late in the proceedings.

Liverpool struck the white of the goal frame four times, through Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso, and twice by Andrea Dossena as Fulham rode their luck.

Roy Hodgson’s side have made Craven Cottage a stronghold in west London, having earned seven points against ‘big four’ teams, and it appeared they would again secure a result that would affect the outcome of the title.

But the walls were finally breached in the dying stages, when in stoppage time Ryan Babel found Steven Gerrard whose deflected pass fell to Benayoun, 12 yards out.

The Israeli international made no mistake under intense pressure, with his shot from a sharp angle buried past Mark Schwarzer’s goal with aplomb.

As the sea of black and white fans at Craven Cottage stood in astonished silence, the delirious scenes of red jubilation on the Liverpool bench could not have been a better illustration of the fortunes of the opposing sides.

At the opposite end of the table, Alan Shearer’s glorified return to Newcastle as manager in a bid to save his club from the dreaded drop was spoiled by Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea, as the Blues ran out 2-0 winners.

Woeful defending by the Magpies’ Fabricio Coloccini gifted possession to Nicolas Anelka in the 56th minute, and the Frenchman’s deflected shot was headed home by the quick-witted Frank Lampard, who was first to react.

Both Anelka and Lampard combined to set up Florent Malouda nine minutes later for the second, as Newcastle slipped further into relegation strife.

An Emmanuel Adebayor double at the Emirates handed Arsenal at 2-0 victory over Manchester City and a fourth successive win for the Gunners.

Arsene Wenger’s side stretched their unbeaten streak to 17 matches in the Premier League, but this includes eight draws, each of which have cost them dearly in the title race.

Middlesbrough face an uphill battle to face relegation after they were thumped 4-1 by Bolton.

The clinical Wanderers punished a ‘Boro side which is currently languishing in second last position, through goals from Kevin Davies, Gary Cahill and Matt Taylor and Ricardo Gardner to leave Gareth Southgate’s seemingly destined for the drop.

Elsewhere, two goals in the final ten minutes gave Blackburn Rovers a shock 2-1 win over struggling Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromich remained at the foot of the table after succumbing to Stoke City 2-0, and West Ham kept its hopes of European football next season alive with a win over Sunderland by the same score line.

BUNDESLIGA HEATS UP!
In the day and age where the winners of European leagues are decided weeks in advance, the Bundesliga is one exception that is entertaining and exciting fans with its unpredictable outcomes late in the season.

With eight matches remaining, only seven points separate sixth place from the all-important first place, with all top six teams having a genuine chance of claiming the German title.

In the shock of the weekend, reigning champions Bayern Munich were demolished by Wolfsburg 5-1, who have now displaced Jurgen Klinsmann’s side at the top of the table.

The momentum appears to be with Wolfsburg, who made the most of dreadful defending to smash four goals past Munich in 14 second half minutes to record their eight consecutive win.

Elsewhere, Hamburger SV moved to joint top spot with Wolfsburg on 51 points – trailing only by goal difference – with a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim.

German minnows Hoffenheim, who led the Bundesliga for much of the season, still have an outside chance at the title, but will be kicking themselves for their poor form late in the season – the side now sits in sixth place having failed to record a win in their last seven matches.

BARCELONA STAYS ON TRACK
Barcelona remain six points clear of title rival Real Madrid after their elusive Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o notched up his 26th goal of the season to hand the Catalonian club a 1-0 victory over Real Valladolid on Saturday.

Eto’o finished a superb lob after playing a neat one-two with Spanish international Xavi, to prevent Real Madrid, who beat Malaga 1-0, closing the gap at the top of the Primera Liga table.

While third-placed Sevilla earned a 1-0 victory at Recreativo Huelva through a first-half penalty from the in-form Frederic Kanoute, they are seemingly out of the title race.

The southern Spanish side are currently 15 points behind Barca, but are a comfortable five points clear of fourth-placed Villarreal in Champions League qualification stakes.

Villarreal were desecrated 3-0 by mid-table Almeria, as the ‘Yellow Submarine’ was sunk by Alvaro Negredo’s inspirational performance.

Negredo, a former Real Madrid youth player, scored his 17th goal of the campaign, then set up Pablo Piatti and Mane to wrap the game up before half-time in Almeria’s favour.

In the battle of the basement, second-last Numancia grabbed a dramatic late equaliser to earn a vital point in a thrilling 3-3 draw against fellow strugglers Real Betis.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao happily concluded a run of four successive defeats by defeating Real Mallorca 2-1 at San Mames.

CELTIC SIX POINTS CLEAR
In the two-horse race that is the Scottish Premier League, Celtic has gone six points clear of their bitter Old Firm rivals Glasgow Rangers after crushing Hamilton 4-0.

A brace from Greece striker Georgios Samaras and singles from Aiden McGeady and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink completed the rout to heap pressure on Rangers.

The Gers are already struggling from internal pressures after the Ibrox club suspended Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor for discrepancies that occurred when the pair were on International duty.

WONDER-BOY BENZEMA NETS BRACE
Highly-rated French youngster Karim Benzema scored two goals in Olympique Lyon’s 3-1 win over Le Mans on Saturday, as Claude Puel’s men went three points clear at the top of Ligue 1.

With eight games left, Lyon still has to shake the challenge offered by second-placed Girondins Bordeaux in order to secure an unprecedented eighth successive league title.