France
A big weekend for the top two as Monaco & Nantes both enjoyed comfortable away wins whilst the rest of the top 10 all failed to gain maximum points. Monaco stay five points clear following a 2-0 win at Auxerre with highly rated 19 year old Belgian midfielder Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco grabbing both goals. There was also a brace for Nantes’ on-loan striker Fernando Aristeguieta in their 4-0 away win at a Chateauroux side who are heading down the table at an alarming rate. Angers move up a place into the last promotion spot after a goalless draw at Niort coupled with Guingamp’s 2-0 reverse at Tours. Caen’s failure to beat Lens denied them the chance to go third & they stay in fifth place on 54 points, one behind Angers & Guingamp.
Fernando Aristeguieta scored twice as Nantes took a step near Ligue 1. Courtesy of Albinfkz
GFCO Ajaccio look like making an instant return to the National after they were beaten 4-1 at second bottom Sedan, leaving the Corsicans are 12 points from safety with just six games remaining. Sedan gave themselves a chance of survival with this vital win & are now six points behind Chateauroux in 17th place. Le Mans failed to climb out of the bottom three after going down 2-1 at home to fellow strugglers Istres, despite taking an early lead the financially stricken side lost their fifth game in the last six & remain in the drop zone, although the four teams above them are all within two points.
Germany
Eintracht Braunschweig have closed the gap on leaders Hertha Berlin to two points after 2.BL top scorer Domi Kumbela struck twice in the 3-1 win at lowly Sandhausen. Hertha were held to a 1-1 draw at Ingolstadt, who had lost their three previous games. Kaiserslautern stay in third place but are only above Koln on goal difference after they let a 1-0 lead slip at nine man Aue on Monday. Koln were thankful for a late goal in the 1-0 win over Aalen. Both Hertha & Eintracht Braunschweig could be celebrating promotion this weekend, a win for Hertha at home to Sandhausen on Sunday will ensure promotion whilst Braunschweig will also be up if they better Kaiserslautern & Koln’s result. Even if that doesn’t happen, it really is only a matter of time. The race for the play-offs is looking like it will be Kaiserslautern or Koln, who both have 49 points five ahead of FSV Frankfurt & seven in front of 1860 Munich.
Jahn Regensburg picked up a point in a 0-0 draw at Paderborn but they are 10 points from safety & it is wins that are required from now on with only 15 points available. Sandhausen are four points ahead of Jahn but need at least two wins more than Bochum or Dresden in the last five games to have a chance of survival. Dresden earned a point in a 0-0 draw at Union Berlin but Bochum’s surprise 2-0 win at Cottbus in Peter Neururer’s first game in change puts Dynamo back in the relegation play off place.
Holland
Volendam took a huge step towards the Eerste Divisie title with a 3-0 win over second placed Helmond Sport, striker Jack Tuyp hitting his 27th goal of the season in the win which also confirmed Volendam as Period Four Champions. Cambuur move up to second after they won a hard fought game at De Graafschap 2-1. The Leeuwarden based side are two points behind Volendam with three games remaining. Sparta Rotterdam drop to fourth after a goalless draw with Fortuna Sittard. They visit Helmond Sport this weekend in a game they must win if they are to have any say in the title race. MVV Maastricht were thumped 5-2 at home to Dordrecht, ending a four match unbeaten run & leaving them eight points behind Volendam. Although the title looks out of reach, they won the first period & will compete in the end of season play-offs.
After nine successive losses Eindhoven finally recorded a win at the 19th time of asking as they beat Emmen 4-1 & close the gap on Excelsior to three points after the Rotterdam based side lost 2-0 at Oss. Almere went into Monday night’s game with Den Bosch in confident mood after four straight home wins but ending the evening on the back of a 5-1 defeat with Tom van Weert scoring twice taking his tally to 16 for the season.
Spain
Leaders Elche welcomed Xerez to the Martinez Valero on Sunday with the visitors arriving 21 games without tasting victory, so it was a surprise when they led at the break! Elche levelled in the second half before Xerez hit the self destruct button having two men & an unused sub sent off before conceding a penalty two minutes from time to lose the game 2-1. Elche are 12 points ahead of second placed Girona, who won 1-0 at Racing Santander. Alcorcon won by the same scoreline at Lugo to move above Villarreal into third, the Yellow Submarine were grateful for a 95th minute Manu strike to earn a draw at Murcia where around 3000 Villarreal fans were present in a crowd of just over 8000.
Over the rainbow…3000 Villarreal fans almost double the crowd at Murcia on Sunday. Courtesy of locoflickr
Almeria drop to fifth after a 1-0 shock loss at relegation threatened Mirandes & Las Palmas hold the last play-off spot, despite a disappointing 0-0 home draw to another side fighting for their Liga Adelante lives in Hercules in front of another bumper crowd of 23673. Las Palmas are now only three points ahead of Ponferradina in the race for the last play-off place following a late Yuri strike which gave La Ponfe a 1-0 win at Cordoba.
Huesca had an entertaining 4-3 win over Sabadell on Sunday night which closes the gap on the teams above, although they remain second bottom. Huesca, Hercules & Racing Santander all have 35 points with Murcia in a position of safety on 36. With eight games remaining, Xerez find themselves 12 points from safety.
Italy
A double header in Italy with a full round of midweek fixtures. Sassuolo take another step towards Serie A with a four point haul. Having drawn 1-1 at home to Brescia, they then traveled south to Reggina & goals from Boakye & Missiroli gave them a 2-0 win. Livorno had an impressive 3-1 win at Varese to climb above Hellas Verona & into second but were beaten by the same scoreline at home to Novara on Wednesday, giving them a one point advantage over Hellas, although Hellas have a better head to head record which could prove vital. Hellas Verona slipped behind in the race for the second automatic spot after two goalless draws at Cesena & at home to Cittadella but Empoli in fourth place picked up a maximum six points with a win in a local derby at Grosseto before hammering Juve Stabia 5-0 with the front three of Francesco Tavano, Massimo Maccarone & Ricardo Saponara all on target. In Serie B, for the play-offs to take place, the team in fourth place must finish less than 10 points behind third, otherwise the top three go up automatically. The gap now between third & fourth has been cut to six points.
Novara’s success at second place Livorno on Wednesday was their seventh successive win & 13th game unbeaten, Fiorentina loanee Haris Seferovic was the hero with a hat-trick, keeping Novara four points behind Empoli. Brescia have climbed into the final play-off place thanks to a draw at Sassuolo & a win over bottom side Grosseto. They move above a Varese side who have only won one of the last nine games & lost to high flying Livorno & relegation candidates Pro Vercelli in their last two outings.
Grosseto have missed the goals of Szforzini & have been relegated.Courtesy of Hellaslive
Grosseto have been relegated after losing on Tuesday. Second bottom Pro Vercelli gave themselves faint hope with an impressive win over Varese & Vicenza are just five points from a play-off place after their first win in seven games when they beat fellow strugglers Ascoli.
Born Offside