Lautaro Martinez brace fires Inter top of Serie A

Juventus trips against Sasuolo; Bailey double sinks Bayern

Inter Milan moved above Juventus to the top of the Serie A table with a 2-1 win at home to SPAL thanks to a Lautaro Martinez double on Sunday.

The Argentina international struck with a low finish into the corner and headed in his second goal before half-time to take his tally for the season to 13 in all competitions.

SPAL pulled one back in the second half through a moment of individual brilliance from Mattia Valoti, but Inter hung on to take advantage of Juventus dropping points by drawing 2-2 against Sassuolo earlier in the day.

Inter is now one point ahead of Juve on 37 points, while SPAL remains second from bottom and without a win in its past seven matches.

Mini drought ends

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first Juventus goal since October to rescue a draw against Sassuolo in Turin, as the Italian champions dropped points for only third time this season.

Leonardo Bonucci fired Juve into the lead in the first half, but an exquisite finish from Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga levelled the scores just three minutes later before Francesco Caputo put the visitors in front after the break following a defensive mix-up and an error by keeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Ronaldo netted from the penalty spot midway through the second half to end his four-match goal drought in all competitions and deny Sassuolo its first ever win in this fixture.

A late winner from Theo Hernandez earned AC Milan a much-needed 1-0 victory away to Parma.

The left back pounced on a defensive mistake to fire home the decisive goal with just two minutes of regulation time remaining.

It was Hernandez’s third goal of the season, making him Milan’s joint-top scorer along with striker Krzysztof Piatek.

Leon Bailey scored twice as Bayern Munich crashed 2-1 at home to 10-man Bayer Leverkusen. Hansi Flick lost for the first time in five games as Bayern’s interim coach after Jamaica winger Bailey scored first-half goals for Leverkusen.

Mid-table Leverkusen finished with 10 men after defender Jonathan Tah saw a late red card for fouling Philippe Coutinho.

Bayern hit the woodwork three times, had 75 % possession and 24 shots on goal, twice as many as Leverkusen.

The visitor went ahead on 10 minutes as Bailey glided past Benjamin Pavard after a brilliant Kevin Volland pass.

After Serge Gnabry, then Ivan Perisic had hit the woodwork, Thomas Muller equalised on 33 minutes, but Bayern was level for just 113 seconds as Bailey this time motored past Javi Martinez to beat Manuel Neuer.

Bayern had little luck and even Robert Lewandowski, who scored four goals in 15 minutes in Tuesday’s 6-0 thrashing of Red Star Belgrade, failed to score.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang once again rescued Arsenal as his brace earned it a 2-2 draw at Norwich City in Freddie Ljungberg’s first game as caretaker manager on Sunday.

Arsenal twice trailed with Norwich’s goals coming from Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell but Aubameyang ensured the Gunners returned to London with a point even if their winless run in the Premier League now extends to six games.

Pukki’s deflected shot crept past Bernd Leno in the 21st minute but Norwich’s lead did not last long as Aubameyang scored with a twice-taken penalty after his initial effort was saved by Tim Krul. The kick was ordered to be re-taken after VAR ruled Norwich’s players had encroached into the area.

Cantwell’s sliderule effort restored Norwich’s lead in first-half stoppage time after Arsenal’s defence backed off.

Aubameyang fired in from close range to level again in the 57th minute but it was Norwich which looked the more likely winner with Leno making several good saves.

The results: Premier League: Wolves 1 (Doherty 64) drew with Sheffield United 1 (Mousset 2); Norwich 2 (Pukki 21, Cantwell 45+2) drew with Arsenal 2 (Aubameyang 29-pen, 57).

Serie A: Juventus 2 (Bonucci 20, Ronaldo 68-pen) drew with Sassuolo 2 (Boga 22, Caputo 47); Parma 0 lost to AC Milan 1 (Hernandez 88); Inter Milan 2 (Martinez 16, 41) bt SPAL 1 (Valoti 50); Lazio 3 (Immobile 9, 36-pen, Alberto 45+1-pen) bt Udinese 0.

La Liga: Sevilla 1 (Carlos 63) bt Leganes 0; Athletic Bilbao 2 (Raul Garcia 41-pen, Berchiche 83) bt Granada 0.

Saturday: Premier League: Southampton 2 (Ings 78, Ward-Prowse 83) bt Watford 1 (Sarr 24).

La Liga: Real Sociedad 4 (Le Normand 25, Oiarzabal 47, Willian Jose 57, Odegaard 80) bt Eibar 1 (Diop 35); Real Mallorca 1 (Wakalibille 55-pen) lost to Real Betis 2 (Joaquin 7-pen, Fekir 33); Valencia 2 (Rodrigo 49, Torres 70) bt Villarreal 1 (Zambo Anguissa 54).

Serie A: Brescia 0 lost to Atalanta 3 (Pasalic 26, 60, Ilicic 90+2); Genoa 0 lsot to Torino 1 (Bremer 77); Fiorentina 0 lost to Lecce 1 (La Mantia 50).

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 1 (Muller 34) lost to Bayer Leverkusen 2 (Bailey 10, 35).

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