Late goal wins city derby for AC Milan, yet another last-gasp comeback for Leverkusen

MATTEO GABBIA FIRED AC Milan to a stunning late derby win over Inter Milan on Sunday with a bullet header which earned his team a 2-1 win and local bragging rights, while Roma thumped Udinese 3-0 as fans protested the shock sacking of Daniele De Rossi.

Defender Gabbia rose highest to thump home Tijjani Reijnders’ free-kick in the 89th minute and give Milan a win which pulls them out of a miserable early season slump. Paulo Fonseca’s side join Inter on eight points in seventh place thanks to Gabbia’s late winner, which came after Federico Dimarco had levelled Christian Pulisic’s brilliant 10th-minute individual effort just before the half-hour mark.

Milan’s win snapped Inter’s run of consecutive derby victories at six and stopped their rivals from taking top spot in Serie A on goal difference ahead of surprise early league leaders Torino.

Meanwhile, goals from Artem Dovbyk, Paulo Dybala and Tommaso Baldanzi gave Roma a comfortable three points against Udinese who had been surprise leaders before this weekend but drop down to third, a point behind Torino.

Now coached by Ivan Juric, Roma moved up to 10th on six points after a confident display in front of a fractious crowd at the Stadio Olimpico which was more interested in expressing anger at De Rossi’s shock dismissal on Wednesday. The match was a sideshow for the protests which will continue unless Juric’s team can continue with the sort of display which earned Roma victory. 

“The boys were very sad about Daniele being fired, they were very honest about it and I appreciated that,” said Juric after the match.

Supporters hurled abuse at the team from the stands while the entire Curva Sud section of the Olimpico, where the ultras stand, was empty for the first half an hour of the match.

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In Germany,  Victor Boniface struck a stoppage-time winner to give Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen a thrilling 4-3 win over Wolfsburg, while Borussia Dortmund were outclassed in a 5-1 hammering at Stuttgart.

In a seesaw encounter, Leverkusen and Wolfsburg were locked at 3-3 from the 48th minute. Wolfsburg were then reduced to 10 men in the dying stages when Yannick Gerhardt sunk his studs into Jeremie Frimpong’s calf.

Boniface, who came on with 22 minutes remaining, collected a pass before pivoting on the spot and shooting home to snatch the German champions another late victory, providing a perfect boost ahead of next week’s trip to Bayern Munich.    

Days after going down 3-1 at Real Madrid in the Champions League, Stuttgart dominated a disappointing Dortmund at home thanks to a brace from Deniz Undav and goals from Ermedin Demirovic, Enzo Millot and El Bilal Toure.

In Spain, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha struck twice each as La Liga leaders Barcelona romped to a 5-1 win at Villarreal on Sunday but were left fearing a “huge” knee injury to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Atletico Madrid, fourth, were held to a 1-1 draw at city rivals Rayo Vallecano as Conor Gallagher netted his second goal for the Rojiblancos.

Barcelona’s sixth league triumph in six games was marred by Ter Stegen being taken off on a stretcher after falling awkwardly having collected a cross, with early reports suggesting he could miss the rest of the season.

“I think it will be a huge injury, when he laid down on the field… you can see it directly,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick told DAZN.

Lewandowski netted Barcelona’s first two goals and later missed a penalty in a thoroughly entertaining battle on Spain’s east coast at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica.

Ayoze Perez pulled his team back into the game shortly before half-time and the previously unbeaten hosts had two goals disallowed, with Pablo Torre and Raphinha’s strikes cementing Barcelona’s victory.

After second-placed Real Madrid thrashed Espanyol 4-1 on Saturday the Catalans were able to restore a four-point lead on the champions.

In a Madrid derby clash Diego Simeone’s unbeaten Atletico could not find a way past Rayo Vallecano.

Rayo’s Isi Palazon slammed home from close range after 35 minutes and the goal was eventually given after initially being ruled offside.

However Gallagher finished neatly from the edge of the box early in the second half when Alexander Sorloth fed the England international.