Awer Mabil made a decisive impact as a 79th-minute substitute, winning a 97th-minute penalty as Sparta Prague beat rivals Slavia Prague 3-2 to move five points clear with three games left in the Czech 1.Liga on Sunday.
Mabil launched a good shot from outside the box in the 84th minute forcing a good save, before Slavia equalized.
But deep in stoppage time the Socceroos winger broke on the left side of the box, before trying a quick turn with a flick between his legs, leading to Igoh Ogbu sliding in and taking him out on the byline for a spotkick which Ladislav Krejci converted.
⏱️ 84. MINUTA
Mabil vypálil z dálky, Kolář jeho střelu kryje. #acsparta
ACS 2-1 SKS pic.twitter.com/xF9jaRQwFl
— AC Sparta Praha (@ACSparta_CZ) May 13, 2023
Denis Genreau started and played 69 minutes as Toulouse drew 0-0 at home with Nantes in the French Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Ajdin Hrustic was absent due to injury as Hellas Verona slumped back into the drop zone with three games to play after a 1-0 home loss to Torino in the Italian Serie A on Sunday. Cristian Volpato was an unused sub as AS Roma drew 0-0 at Bologna.
Mat Ryan responded after a costly error in the UEFA Conference League semi-final against West Ham United with a solid display as AZ Alkmaar won 5-1 over FC Emmen in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday.
Ryan wasn’t kept overly busy by a struggling Emmen side, with AZ scoring five first-half goals, before the Socceroo was beaten by Richairo Zivkovic’s 50th minute strike on a break.
Ryan had given away a penalty in Thursday’s 2-1 Conference League semi-final first leg loss to the Hammers, flailing at a cross and hitting the head of Jarrod Bowen as he headed the ball after AZ had earlier led 1-0.
Riley McGree earned a 7/10 rating from Teesside Live as Middlesbrough drew 0-0 at Coventry City in their Championship promotion playoffs first leg.
Teesside Live wrote: “Lively, particularly in the first half. Always wanted the ball and trying to make something happen, crafting the best chance of the game for Akpom in the first half. Tired after the break and became less influential as Coventry had control, but worked hard throughout.”
Bailey Wright‘s Sunderland won 2-1 over Luton Town in their first leg at home on Saturday.
Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe’s promotion hopes with fifth-placed St Pauli were all but ended after a 0-0 draw with sixth-placed Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German 2.Bundesliga on Sunday.
Irvine put in a full shift and Metcalfe was a 77th-minute substitute, with St Pauli now six points behind third-placed Hamburg SV with two games to play.
Socceroos trio Kye Rowles, Nathaniel Atkinson and Cam Devlin played their part as Hearts snatched a crucial point to boost their European hopes with a 2-2 draw at St Mirren for whom Ryan Strain scored.
Atkinson was the best of the Aussie trio, coming off the bench at half-time and getting the assist for Josh Ginnelly’s 73rd minute goal to make it 2-1.
The Socceroos right-back did well to control a pass down the right flank and advance into the box with some quick feet before delivering an excellent ball across goal for Ginnelly to score from point-blank range.
Atkinson received a 7/10 from Edinburgh Evening News, who wrote: “Lively off the bench and got an assist for Ginnelly’s goal.”
Strain netted St Mirren’s second goal late in the first half with a trademark free-kick over the wall and in at the near post. Strain started and played 89 minutes, while Keanu Baccus was a 55th-minute substitute.
Garang Kuol didn’t get off the bench while Rowles and Devlin were both rated only 5/10. Edinburgh Evening News wrote about Rowles, who put in a full shift: “Positionally suspect and bullied off his man. Forgivable if it were Main, but it was the much slighter Grieve giving him a tough time.”
Devlin started and played 61 minutes and Edinburgh Evening News wrote: “Ineffective off the ball as he chased a lot but didn’t impact. In possession his passing was an issue.”
Aziz Behich and Mark Birighitti both played full games as Dundee United edged closer to relegation after a 3-1 home loss to bottom club Ross County. United are subsequently last with three games to play.
Aaron Mooy missed newly-crowned champions Celtic’s 3-0 loss to rivals Rangers with a minor injury.
Nick D’Agostino continued his good form in the Norwegian Eliteserien with a goal and an assist as Viking won 2-1 at Sandefjord on Saturday.
D’Agostino, who put in a full shift, netted the equalizer in the 14th minute, before laying off the assist for Kristoffer Lokberg’s 90th minute winner.
Denne følelsen.
Det e sååå deiligt 🙌
16.mai neste. Let’s go! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/LcRQkkznqb— Viking Fotball (@vikingfotball) May 13, 2023
Gianni Stensness played a full game and Patrick Yazbek started and 59 minutes for Viking too.
Mitch Duke started and played 82 minutes as Machida Zelvia won 1-0 over third-placed Tokyo Verdy in the Japanese J2 League on Saturday. Duke’s side are top of the league by four points after 15 games and on track for promotion.
Alex Grant powered in a 67th-minute goal with a header from a corner s Pohang Steelers won 3-2 over Daejeon Citizen in the Korean K-League. Grant put in a full shift.
Others
Full games
Fran Karacic, Jimmy Jeggo, Josh Rawlins, Aaron Calver, Harrison Delbridge, Lachlan Jackson, Mitchell Langerak
Minutes
Stefan Mauk – SB 63, Brad Smith – SB 60
Unused subs
Ryan McGowan, Lewis Miller
Notable absentees
Milos Degenek, Thomas Deng
