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Ibrahimovic dominates European football weekend

March 14, 2016 11:19 IST

Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagging four goals, while Juventus and Bayern Munich preserved their leads and FA Cup holders Arsenal were dumped out of the competition

FRANCE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

IMAGE: Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after scoring the second goal for PSG. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters.

Paris St Germain clinched their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title with eight games to play after Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored four goals in their 9-0 demolition of Troyes.

Ibrahimovic’s haul included a remarkable nine-minute hat-trick as PSG completed the biggest away victory in the division’s history to seal the fastest ever Ligue 1 title triumph, breaking the record set by Olympique Lyonnais in 2007.

Second-placed AS Monaco are now 25 points behind PSG after drawing 2-2 with Reims, while third-placed Nice won 2-0 at troubled Montpellier.

PSG have 77 points after 30 matches, with Monaco on 52.

ENGLAND

FA Cup

IMAGE: Sebastian Prodl (5) and Craig Cathcart of Watford (15) celebrate victory after the FA Cup sixth round match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images.

FA Cup holders Arsenal lost 2-1 to visiting Watford in the quarter-finals and missed the chance to become the first team since the 1880s to claim a third straight triumph in the competition.

Struggling Premier League champions Chelsea lost 2-0 in the Cup at Everton, while Manchester United and West Ham United must replay after a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Crystal Palace are the other semi-finalists after beating second-tier Reading 2-0 away.

In the league, second-placed Tottenham Hotspur closed the gap on Leicester City to two points with a 2-0 win at bottom side Aston Villa before the leaders host Newcastle United on Monday.

SPAIN

Lionel Messi

IMAGE: Barcelona's players celebrate a goal against Getafe during their La Liga match at Camp Nou in Barcelona on Saturday. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scored and provided three assists as they equalled a club record of 12 consecutive league wins by thrashing struggling Getafe 6-0 at the Nou Camp.

Messi also missed a penalty but Neymar netted twice in the rout as Barca remain eight points clear of nearest challengers Atletico Madrid, who beat Deportivo La Coruna 3-0.

Real Madrid's Casemiro headed a last-gasp goal in a 2-1 victory at Las Palmas to keep them four points off Atletico and 10 points clear of fourth-placed Villarreal, who lost 4-2 at a Sevilla side now five points behind their opponents in fifth.

Athletic Bilbao joined the fight for a top-four finish by beating Real Betis 3-1 thanks to a double from Sabin Merino, and sit six points behind Villarreal, in sixth place.

GERMANY

Bayern Munich

IMAGE: Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller celebrates scoring a goal. Photograph: Reuters.

Bayern Munich crushed Werder Bremen 5-0 to bounce back after two matches without a win in the Bundesliga and protect their five-point lead at the top as they chase a record fourth straight league crown.

Thomas Mueller and Thiago Alcantara scored twice each and Mario Goetze made his long-awaited comeback since his muscle injury in October as Bayern prepare to face Juventus for a spot in the Champions League last eight next week.

Borussia Dortmund eased past Mainz 05 2-0 with goals from Marco Reus and Shinji Kagawa, in a game that was overshadowed by the death of fan in the stands from an apparent heart attack.

Dortmund are second on 61, 16 points ahead of third-placed Hertha Berlin.

ITALY

Gianluigi Buffon

IMAGE: Gianluigi Buffon, right, of Juventus FC celebrates victory. Photograph: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images.

Serie A leaders Juventus edged Sassuolo 1-0 and remain three points clear of second-placed Napoli, who beat struggling Palermo by the same scoreline.

Paulo Dybala scored the winner for Juve as they moved to 67 points after 29 matches, while league-leading scorer Gonzalo Higuain’s first-half penalty was enough to keep Napoli in touching distance of the defending champions.

AS Roma extended their winning streak to eight games with a 2-1 victory at Udinese, while Fiorentina drew 1-1 at home to Verona and Inter Milan defeated visiting Bologna 2-1.

Juventus have 67 points, ahead of Napoli (64), Roma (59),Fiorentina and Inter (both 54).

NETHERLANDS

Ajax Amsterdam blew a chance to top the Dutch league after NEC Nijmegen's Venezuelan winger Christian Santos scored a late equaliser for a 2-2 draw.

A home win would have sent Ajax clear of champions PSV Eindhoven, who instead lead by one point after 27 games.

PSV themselves had a setback when they were held 1-1 at home by Heerenveen, opening the door for Ajax to reclaim the lead they had enjoyed for much of the first half of the campaign.

Source: REUTERS
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