Vlahović inspires Juventus to 3-0 win at Salernitana
Salerno, Feb. 9: Dušan Vlahović proved he is back on form with two goals and an assist to help Juventus win 3-0 at Salernitana in Serie A on Tuesday. That snapped a run of three league matches without a win for Juventus.
The streak had left the Bianconeri just nine points above the relegation zone coming into the match at Salerno following a 15-point penalty for false accounting. It also meant the match was a surprise relegation battle with Salernitana just two points further back. But Vlahović helped Juventus push away from the bottom three.
He scored his first goal for the club since October in the 26th minute with a penalty after Fabio Miretti had been fouled by Salernitana midfielder Nicolussi Caviglia, who is on loan from Juventus. Juventus doubled its tally on the stroke of halftime when the Salernitana defense failed to clear a cross and Vlahović’s wayward shot came through to Filip Kostić to bundle in.
Vlahović did double his tally two minutes after the break with a precise shot into the bottom right corner following a Nicolò Fagioli through ball. Ángel Di María hit the crossbar for Juventus five minutes later, while Moise Kean saw an effort come off the post late on.
Frankfurt into Qfs
Randal Kolo Muani scored twice as Eintracht Frankfurt came back from a goal down to beat local rival Darmstadt 4-2 and seal a place in the German Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Frankfurt took an early lead when Kolo Muani leaped to head in a cross and missed two clear-cut chances soon after but was stunned when Mathias Honsak scored twice in the space of three minutes on counterattacks to put second-division leader Darmstadt ahead.
Rafael Borre was left unmarked in the penalty area just before halftime and capitalized to score and send Frankfurt into the break on level terms.
A powerful shot from Daichi Kamada put Frankfurt back in front in the 62nd minute but Darmstadt wasn’t done yet and nearly leveled again when Phillip Tietz hit the post.
Kolo Muani made sure of the win for Frankfurt late on, surging down the left flank before placing a shot just inside the far post.
Last season’s cup runner-up Freiburg left it late for the third cup game in a row to win 2-0 at second-division Sandhausen. Freiburg took the lead with an 87th-minute header from Philipp
Lienhart and Nils Petersen added a second deep into added time after a goalkeeping error.
FA Cup dream over for Wrexham
For Wrexham’s Hollywood owners, the sequel proved to be a heartbreaker.
The Welsh soccer club owned by celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney lost its FA Cup replay with Sheffield United 3-1 on Tuesday, conceding two goals deep into stoppage time.
A win for Wrexham, the lowest-ranked team remaining in the famous old competition, would have set up a match in the fifth round — or the last 16 — with Tottenham and its star striker, Harry Kane.
Sheffield United forced a replay by scoring an equalizer in the fifth minute of stoppage time in the first game between the teams, which ended 3-3 at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground. Reynolds attended that game but wasn’t at the replay at Bramall Lane, where Billy Sharp and Sander Berge scored the late goals.
The Welsh club had already eliminated second-tier Coventry this season and could easily have done the same to Sheffield United, another Championship team, with Paul Mullin having a penalty saved in the 72nd minute when the score was 1-1.
Mullin had converted a spot kick in the 59th to equalize for Wrexham, canceling out Anel Ahmedhodzic’s opener nine minutes earlier.
Sharp’s goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time came from a defensive mistake and proved to be crucial.
The big surprise of the fourth-round replays came when fourth-tier Grimsby won 3-0 at home over Luton, which is in fourth place in the Championship. Grimsby next plays at Premier League team Southampton.
Second-tier leader Burnley, managed by former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany, and third-tier Fleetwood also won their replays and will meet for a place in the quarterfinals. (AP)
