Runaway leaders Bayern Munich stayed on course for the league and Cup double in Germany, while Real Madrid and Juventus kept a firm grip at the top after wins in Spain and Italy. English leaders Arsenal were forced to replay their FA Cup quarter-final after being held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea, while in France Monaco’s 13-match unbeaten run came to an end when they lost 1-0 to Girondins Bordeaux. In a tight French league Monaco could lose their leadership if Olympique Marseille beat arch-rivals Paris St Germain later on Sunday. PSV Eindhoven stayed seven points clear in the Netherlands with a 2-1 win over NEC Nijmegen, as second placed Ajax prepared for their Champions League match against Valencia on Tuesday with a confidence-boosting 5-0 drubbing of Zwolle. Bayern Munich closed in on the domestic double with a 3-0 win over struggling Bayer Leverkusen which sent the leaders 13 points clear. Brazilian striker Elber was the inspiration behind the win, scoring two of the goals and setting up the third. Elber had also scored twice in Bayern’s 3-1 win over the same opponents on Wednesday, which gave his side a place in the German Cup final. Real Madrid went three points clear in Spain on Saturday after a 4-1 win over Racing Santander, but former leaders Real Sociedad reduced the gap to one point after a 3-1 win over Basque rivals Alaves on Sunday. Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and substitutes Javier Portillo and Guti all got on the scoresheet to give the European champions a welcome fillip ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash at home to AC Milan. Real have struggled to find the form this season that led to their victory over Bayer Leverkusen in last year’s Champions League final. They are second in Group C on four points and a win over leaders Milan, on nine points, will be crucial to keep their Champions League dream alive. Juventus maintained their three-point lead over Inter Milan at the top of Serie A after French striker David Trezeguet gave them a 1-0 win over a 10-man Udinese. The victory means Juventus have 54 points with Inter Milan, who beat Bologna 2-1, in second on 51. Third placed AC Milan lost ground when they could only manage a 0-0 home draw with Chievo Verona. Striker Jean-Claude Darcheville handed Monaco their first defeat since November when his goal gave Bordeaux a 1-0 win over the leaders. Monaco stay top, equal on 52 points with Marseille, who host PSG later. Third-placed Lyon closed the gap on the leaders to just one point after their 3-1 win over struggling AC Ajaccio. Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Bolton was the only match played in the English premier league at the weekend due to FA Cup quarter-final fixtures. The win moved a revived Liverpool up to sixth and within three points of a Champions League berth. (Reuters)
