European football roundup: Garnacho stunner helps Man Utd, Rodrygo sends Madrid top

Manchester United rubbed salt into Everton’s wounds as Alejandro Garnacho’s stunning overhead kick helped the Red Devils to a 3-0 win that left the Toffees rooted in the Premier League relegation zone. Everton’s first match since receiving a 10-point deduction for breaches of financial rules was met with a furious response at Goodison Park as the home support held up thousands of placards labelling the Premier League “corrupt”. But the match was only three minutes old when Garnacho produced a sublime piece of skill that will go down as one of the great Premier League goals. The 19-year-old Argentine sprang to meet Diogo Dalot’s hanging cross flush on the volley and fire into Jordan Pickford’s top left-hand corner.

“I cannot believe it. To be honest I just turned around and thought ‘oh my God’,” said Garnacho. That moment of magic was out of keeping with another patchy United performance, but Marcus Rashford’s penalty and Anthony Martial’s strike ensured Erik ten Hag’s men have now won five of their last six league games. “It was a fantastic goal. (The) season is still many games to play but probably already the goal of the season,” said Ten Hag. “We knew beforehand it was going to be difficult but we enjoy those challenges.” United climb up to sixth in the table and within six points of leaders Arsenal despite a troubled season. The visitors had to cope with a febrile atmosphere as the Everton support took out their frustrations on the authorities for being handed the most severe sporting sanction in Premier League history. After two seasons battling relegation, Sean Dyche’s men looked to have pulled clear of trouble thanks to a fine recent run of form. But they are now off the bottom of the table only on goal difference and five points adrift of safety. Everton were left to rue a series of missed chances after Garnacho stunned the raucous home support early on. Dominic Calvert-Lewin twice failed to make the most of excellent headed chances. - Mainoo shines - Teenager Kobbie Mainoo shone on his first Premier League start for United and only a goalline clearance from the midfielder denied Dwight McNeil an equaliser after Andre Onana parried Calvert-Lewin’s initial effort. Abdoulaye Doucoure then slotted another glorious opportunity wide as Everton failed to press home their dominance before the break. And the feeling among the home support that the world is against them was not helped when VAR intervened early in the second period to award United a controversial penalty. Referee John Brooks had initially booked Martial for diving as he went down in the box under a challenge from Ashley Young. The contact appeared minimal for VAR to get involved, but Brooks overturned his decision after viewing a replay. “The VAR thing this year, it’s been all over the place. It’s the simplest thing but it seems to be mayhem all the time,” said Dyche. “You’re 2-0 down all of a sudden from a nothing moment, one you think has gone for you.” Bruno Fernandes handed responsibility from the spot to Rashford and the England international took the chance to smash home his first club goal since September 3. “Marcus needed a bit of confidence, he needed his goal,” said Fernandes. “He is an excellent penalty taker. I was sure he could score that penalty and Marcus did it perfectly.” Martial was making a rare start in the absence of the injured Rasmus Hojlund and rounded off United’s biggest league win of the season with a cool finish from Fernandes’ through ball 15 minutes from time. LaLiga: Rodrygo sends Real Madrid top at Cadiz [caption id=“attachment_13433372” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Real Madrid’s Rodrygo celebrates after scoring against Cadiz in LaLiga. AP[/caption] Rodrygo sent Real Madrid provisionally top of La Liga with two goals in a comfortable 3-0 win at Cadiz on Sunday. The Brazilian winger also set up a goal for La Liga’s top scorer Jude Bellingham, who now has 11 to his name this season in the Spanish top flight. Madrid climbed a point clear of high-flying Girona, who host Athletic Bilbao on Monday looking to reclaim top spot. Carlo Ancelotti’s side also rose four points clear of fourth-placed rivals Barcelona, following their 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, and third-placed Atletico Madrid. Madrid were dealt severe blows over the past fortnight with Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga suffering long-term injuries, joining Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and Aurelien Tchouameni on the sidelines. Despite that, Madrid secured a straightforward victory which is not something they take for granted after the international break, and less so with an injury-ravaged squad. “Sometimes difficulty is just more motivation and the players understood that very well,” Ancelotti told reporters. “All the absences that we have are important players, but we managed it well and the team was very good out there.” The Italian coach started Toni Kroos in defensive midfield and brought veteran playmaker Luka Modric into the team for only his fifth start in La Liga this season. Bellingham also returned after missing two league games and England’s Euro qualifiers with a shoulder injury. Madrid dominated the opening stages and took the lead after 14 minutes when Rodrygo dribbled across the penalty area and curled a sumptuous strike into the top right corner. The Brazilian struggled for goals at the start of the season but Ancelotti kept faith in him and with Vincius sidelined, he will be crucial for Madrid in the coming weeks. ‘Rodrygo is back’

Rodrygo’s incredible goal is even better from this angle. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ofyWQFTfWA

— TC (@totalcristiano) November 26, 2023

Rodrygo’s goals mean he has scored in three consecutive games for the first time since arriving at the club in 2019. “Rodrygo is back – he made the difference today,” said Ancelotti. Cadiz had their chances in an open first half too, with Chris Ramos heading over before Rodrygo’s opener and Andriy Lunin tipping Roger Marti’s fierce effort to safety. Madrid should have doubled their lead early in the second half after Rodrygo dribbled around Cadiz goalkeeper Conan Ledesma, but Joselu left it to him to finish, and he in turn left it for the veteran striker, with the ball running out of play. However Rodrygo had his second soon enough, another fine strike after dribbling into the box from 30 yards out. After Maxi Gomez missed a fine chance for the hosts, the inspired Rodrygo set up the third for Bellingham and the England international drilled a tidy low finish across goal with his left foot. With the job done, Ancelotti withdrew both goalscorers and handed young forward Gonzalo Garcia his debut. “I’m grateful and happy, since I was little I’ve been a Real Madrid fan and I’ve dreamed of playing with the first team,” Garcia, 19, told Real Madrid TV. “I’ll keep the shirt and I’ll ask my team-mates to sign it.” The only negative note for Madrid was Modric going off with what Ancelotti said was a “muscle overload”. Madrid host Napoli on Wednesday in the Champions League having already qualified from the group but looking to seal top spot. Earlier Sunday, Marcelino Garcia Toral enjoyed a comfortable win on his return to LaLiga management with Villarreal, with Jose Luis Morales’ hat-trick sinking Osasuna 3-1. Real Sociedad, fifth, earned a 2-1 win at Sevilla, who had Sergio Ramos and Jesus Navas sent off. Veteran defender Ramos’s dismissal was the 29th red card of his career, and a record-extending 21st in LaLiga. Willian Jose’s goal helped Real Betis, seventh, edge Las Palmas 1-0 to pull level with Athletic Bilbao, sixth, on 24 points. Serie A: Lautaro Martinez maintains Inter’s lead at Juventus

Lautaro Martinez took his tally for 2023 to 𝟮𝟳 Serie A goals with his strike against Juventus ⚽️🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/0jwuJeRMAA

— LiveScore (@livescore) November 26, 2023

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Lautaro Martinez ensured that Inter Milan kept hold of their two-point lead at the top of Serie A as he struck in Sunday’s scrappy 1-1 draw at closest rivals Juventus. Argentina forward Martinez swept home Marcus Thuram’s low cross in the 33rd minute following fine play down the right flank from his strike partner, to keep second-placed Juve at arm’s length in the title race. His 15th goal in all competitions brought Inter level six minutes after Dusan Vlahovic broke a two-month scoring duck with a similar first-time finish at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. The stalemate ended a six-match winning streak in all competitions for Inter, who are favourites to claim a 20th Scudetto ahead of AC Milan who have also won the league 19 times. “For how the match went we’ll take the point,” said coach Simone Inzaghi to DAZN. “We know it’s not easy to score at Juventus but after going behind the team stayed in the match and we scored a great goal.” Inzaghi’s side have come through the first of a series of tough tests with a Champions League trip to Benfica next up on Wednesday before they face Napoli in Naples next Sunday. They have already reached the last 16 of Europe’s top competition but are battling with Real Sociedad for top spot in Group D with the Spanish outfit travelling to Milan next month. - ‘Tough team’ - Inter’s hierarchy have repeatedly said Juve are favourites for the title as they have no European commitments but beyond Vlahovic’s fifth goal of the season Massimiliano Allegri’s side offered very little. The away side were missing starting defenders Benjamin Pavard and Alessandro Bastoni but had few problems dealing with Juve’s predictable attacks as both teams seemed keener to not lose than to try to win. A lively opening period was followed up by a miserable second half in which niggly fouls and protests to referee Marco Guida dominated, and a drab encounter petered out to a draw which seemed to satisfy both teams. “It’s a good result. We wanted to win, obviously, but they are a very tough team to play against,” said Adrien Rabiot. French international midfielder Rabiot admitted that Juve were aiming for the title despite Allegri repeatedly saying his objective was Champions League qualification. “Obviously we talk about winning the Scudetto in the dressing room,” he added. “We’re all great players, we have to realise that… I believe we can do it.” Dybala strikes

Paulo Dybala’s numbers vs Udinese in Serie A are incredible:

⚽️ 11 goals
🅰️ 7 assist
🏃‍♂️ 19 games

Their kryptonite 💎 pic.twitter.com/JD1mUllcCr

— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) November 26, 2023

Paulo Dybala felt the need to silence the haters after helping to fire Roma fifth with the decisive second goal in a 3-1 win over struggling Udinese. Dybala rolled Roma into a 2-1 lead with nine minutes remaining at the Stadio Olimpico after being brilliantly flicked through by Romelu Lukaku, with Stephan El Shaarawy then completing the scoring in the final minute. It was Dybala’s third goal of the league campaign and his first since a brace against Empoli in mid-September, and he put his finger to his lips for the people who “talk too much for no reason”. “I try to give back all the love these people give me,” Dybala told DAZN. “I want to make history here by winning a trophy. It was a good night.” Dybala’s strike helped move Roma three points from fourth-placed Napoli, who currently occupy the last Champions League spot, taking advantage of Atalanta and Fiorentina both losing on Saturday to leapfrog the pair. Udinese are only a point above the relegation zone, with Empoli just inside the bottom three after Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi consigned them to a late 4-3 home defeat. Defeat sent Empoli down to 18th, level on 10 points with Cagliari who move out of the drop zone following their 1-1 draw with Monza in Sunday’s early match. Ilario Monterisi moved Frosinone up to 10th with a 92nd-minute winner against fellow promoted outfit Genoa, who sit 15th after their seventh defeat of the campaign. Ligue 1: Struggling Lyon slip to seventh loss of the season

✅ Lille: hasn't lost on the road since August
❌ Lyon: still winless at home this season pic.twitter.com/iNo6ctUbjY

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) November 26, 2023

Lille inflicted the seventh defeat of the season on Lyon on Sunday, leaving the one-time kings of French football rooted to the bottom of Ligue 1. An opening goal from Canadian international Jonathan David and a stunning strike from Tiago Santos earned Lille a 2-0 victory at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium. Lyon mounted a limited fightback in the second half but former Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette’s lack of cutting edge in front of goal summed up their season so far. They have just seven points from 12 games and relegation is starting to seem a genuine prospect for the club that won seven consecutive titles between 2001 and 2008. Lille’s three points secured fourth place, a point behind Monaco, who were thumped 5-2 by leaders Paris Saint-Germain in the capital on Friday. Nice kept an eighth consecutive clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Toulouse on Sunday that keeps the Riviera outfit breathing down the necks of PSG. Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka has not conceded a goal in Ligue 1 for 723 minutes, more than eight games ago and Nice have yet to fall behind in their 13 Ligue 1 matches this term, breaking the record of 12 held since the 1984-85 season by Bordeaux. However, while they have only conceded a miserly four goals all season, they have only scored 14, which pales by comparison with Kylian Mbappe-fuelled PSG on 34. “Our main strength is our defence,” said Nice coach Francesco Farioli. “We aren’t interested in statistics, but it’s nice racking up the points,” he said. Striker Terem Moffi scored the only goal of Sunday’s game at Nice’s Allianz Riviera, his fourth goal of the Ligue 1 season coming in the 54th minute with a simple tap-in after being set up by Morgan Sanson. A week after releasing their coach Bruno Genesio, Brittany outfit Rennes got their campaign back on track with a 3-1 win over Reims. New boss Julien Stephan experimented with a 3-4-3 formation from where Benjamin Bourigeaud scored one and set one up in a much-needed boost after a poor run. Fellow Brittany club Brest won 3-1 away at Montpellier. Lens extended their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to eight matches on Saturday with a 3-0 victory at Clermont, before turning their attentions to Wednesday’s Champions League game at Arsenal. Marseille’s winless run stretched to four league matches after a 1-1 draw at Strasbourg. The southern giants fell behind early on as Emanuel Emegha put the home team ahead, although Jonathan Clauss levelled before the half-hour mark. But Gennaro Gattuso’s men could not find a winner and now sit ninth in the table. Bundesliga: Hoffenheim snatch draw with Mainz Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann saved a second-half penalty – the third he has kept out this season – to secure a 1-1 home draw with Mainz in the Bundesliga on Sunday. With the scores level and just over 20 minutes remaining, Aymen Barkok stepped up to the spot after VAR found contact in the box, but Baumann smothered the penalty. Baumann holds the record among current Bundesliga goalkeepers with 13 penalty saves in his career. He said his side could be “satisfied” but added that they had “made it too easy” for Mainz. “We’ve got top-class players up front, we simply need to be more stable defensively,” he told DAZN. Mainz struck first, Marco Richter finishing off a superb counter late in the opening half, but Hoffenheim’s Robert Skov levelled things up just after half-time. Baumann was again called into action in the dying stages, getting his fingertips to a Mainz free kick and turning it onto the crossbar. The draw keeps sixth-placed Hoffenheim in touch with the Champions League places, four points shy of fourth-placed Dortmund. Mainz finish the round in the relegation playoff spot, having won just once from their opening 12 matches this season. Earlier on Sunday, Heidenheim continued their solid home form in their debut first division season, holding Bochum to a scoreless draw. Tim Kleindienst had a late chance to win it for the home side when he pounced on a poor back pass from Erhan Masovic, but he blasted his shot over the bar. Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt, who has been in charge of the club for a German-record 15 years, said the draw was “justified”. “It was a war of attrition and both teams defended well.” Heidenheim, officially the smallest club in Germany’s top division, have now won three and drawn one of their six home games this season. Fielding mainly youngsters and Bundesliga journeymen, Heidenheim have run ten kilometres more than any other first division team this campaign. The draw leaves them one point and one place ahead of Bochum in 13th after 12 games.