European Roundup

Barca has to wait a bit longer

LONDON – Barcelona were seconds away from clinching the Primera Liga crown on Sunday but a last-gasp equaliser from Villarreal meant they will have to wait at least a week before getting another chance to wrap up the title.
Inter Milan are one win away from retaining Serie A title, while Manchester United closed in on the Premier League crown.
SPAIN
Barcelona’s first chance to wrap up the Primera Liga title went begging on Sunday after Villarreal came back to scramble a last minute 3-3 draw at the Nou Camp.
The leaders needed a win after chasing Real Madrid slumped to a 3-0 defeat in Valencia on Saturday when Juan Mata, David Silva and Ruben Baraja routed Juande Ramos’s outfit.
ENGLAND
Manchester United need just four points from their remaining three matches to retain the title after cruising to a 2-0 derby win over Manchester City on Sunday, a victory that lifted them back above Liverpool.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez scored the goals to answer Liverpool’s 3-0 win over West Ham United on Saturday which briefly knocked them off the top.
ITALY
Inter Milan are just a win away from their fourth straight Serie A title after a 2-2 draw at Chievo was followed by second-placed AC Milan being held 1-1 by Juventus.
Strikers Hernan Crespo and Mario Balotelli made light of the absence of suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic by twice putting Inter in front but Chievo fought back to show why they have dragged themselves away from the relegation zone.
*Meanwhile, Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has insisted that his team have emerged from their recent crisis despite failing to win for a sixth league match in a row.
Juve held AC Milan to a 1-1 draw at the San Siro on Sunday night when Vincenzo Iaquinta’s diving header on the hour-mark cancelled out Clarence Seedorf’s opener three minutes earlier.
It leaves Juve third in the table, four points behind second-placed Milan and three ahead of fourth-placed Fiorentina.
Only the top three in Italy will go directly into the Champions League group stages next season, with the fourth-placed finisher having to negotiate two qualifying rounds.
GERMANY
League leaders VfL Wolfsburg slumped to a spectacular 4-1 defeat against VfB Stuttgart, with striker Mario Gomez grabbing all four goals, staying top only on goal difference with three matches left.
Champions Bayern Munich caught up with Wolfsburg with a convincing 3-1 win at Energie Cottbus, their second victory in two games under interim coach Jupp Heynckes. The win lifted them level on 60 points. – Nampa-Reuters