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Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice for Juventus against Parma.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice for Juventus against Parma. Photograph: Giorgio Perottino - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice for Juventus against Parma. Photograph: Giorgio Perottino - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images

European roundup: Cristiano Ronaldo double moves Juventus four points clear

This article is more than 4 years old
  • Rebic scores first Milan goals in 3-2 win at San Siro
  • Valencia’s Champions League hopes hit by 4-1 loss

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice to continue his sensational scoring run and help move Juventus four points clear at the top of Serie A with a 2-1 win over Parma. The 34-year-old’s deflected shot opened the scoring in the first half, but Juve were pegged back after the break when Andreas Cornelius headed in from a corner. Ronaldo restored the home side’s advantage just three minutes later with a low strike that took his tally for the season to 16 league goals, 11 of which have come in his last seven appearances.

Mario Balotelli was sent off just eight minutes after coming on in Brescia’s 2-2 draw with Cagliari. The striker was booked for a clumsy challenge before being dismissed almost immediately, having collected a second yellow card for dissent.

The points were shared as Ernesto Torregrossa’s two goals for Brescia were cancelled out by João Pedro getting a double of his own before Balotelli saw red in the 81st minute.

Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-battling Lecce on Sunday as Antonio Conte’s side dropped points for the second weekend in a row. Inter substitute Alessandro Bastoni headed in a second-half opener four minutes after coming on, but Lecce soon drew level through captain Marco Mancosu.

”We are a team who have to go at 100 kilometres per hour,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia. If someone is below par, or off the pace, we cannot afford that and will end up drawing a game we comfortably should have brought home. If we hold an average pace, we cannot get victories. We had to go at full pelt throughout the first half of the season. Once we don’t do that, we become a perfectly normal team.”

Ante Rebic broke his Milan duck with two second-half goals, including a stoppage-time winner as they beat Udinese in a five-goal thriller.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic started for the first time since returning to the club for a six-month loan but Milan made a terrible start. With six minutes played, the goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma rushed out of his area and collided with Udinese’s Kevin Lasagna, leaving Jens Stryger Larsen to slot into an empty net.

Rebic came on at half-time and levelled from close range within three minutes, his first goal since joining on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of the season. Donnarumma then made amends for his mistake with saves from Rolando Mandragora and Stefano Okaka before Milan took the lead.

Theo Hernández rifled the hosts in front in style, steering a volley into the bottom corner from outside the area after a corner was cleared. Ibrahimovic fired over from Rafael Leão’s pass, but Lasagna silenced the San Siro by heading Udinese level in the 85th minute. Milan looked like they would have to settle for a point but Rebic had the final word, collected a loose ball on the edge of the area and threading his shot through a pack of defenders to seal a dramatic victory.

Fabio Borini came off the bench to score a debut goal and rescue a point for Hellas Verona as they earned a 1-1 draw at Bologna. Mattia Bani put the home side in front in the first half before being sent off for a second booking after the break, and Borini headed in an 81st-minute leveller less than a week after joining from Milan.

In La Liga, Valencia’s Champions League hopes were hit by a shock defeat at Real Mallorca, who boosted their survival bid with a 4-1 win.

Ante Budimir (left) and Antonio Raillo were on the scoresheet for Mallorca. Photograph: ATIENZA/EPA

Amid stormy conditions in Palma, Albert Celades’ side quickly fell two goals behind, Antonio Raíllo and Ante Budimir striking for the hosts. Budimir added his second before half-time, finishing a fine team move from a tight angle. Valencia’s hopes of a fightback were extinguished when Daniel Parejo was sent off for picking up a second yellow card. Dani Rodríguez added a fourth for Mallorca, before substitute Ferran Torres pulled a late goal back.

Defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich scored four times in 24 minutes in the second half to crush hosts Hertha Berlin 4-0 on Sunday and move into second place as the Bundesliga resumed after the winter break. Thomas Müller stabbed in from close range on the hour for his third goal of the season, with Bayern upping the tempo after the break following a largely lacklustre first half.

Robert Lewandowski bagged his 20th league goal of this season when the Polish striker sent keeper Rune Jarstein the wrong way to score with a penalty. Thiago Alcântara made it 3-0 with a superb strike and Ivan Perisic headed in at the far post in the 84th from a fine Mueller cross to complete their win.

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