European football: Orsolini last-gasp bicycle kick dents Inter’s title charge

A stunning last-gasp goal by striker Riccardo Orsolini gave Bologna a 1-0 home win against Inter in Serie A on Sunday in a blow to the visitors’ hopes of retaining their title.

Treble-chasing Inter stayed top of the standings with 71 points after 33 games but second-placed Napoli are now level on points with the leaders after securing a late 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Monza on Saturday.

Orsolini sealed the three points for the hosts in stoppage time with a superb bicycle kick after Bologna’s long throw-in was flicked on by an Inter defender and fell kindly for the striker.

Bologna remain strong contenders to qualify for the Champions League as they provisionally moved up to fourth on 60 points, one point above Juventus who visit lowly Parma on Monday.

Both teams had one attempt on target each until late in the game, in a match low on chances and intensity. The encounter became more nervy after the break and Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano was sent off, as was Inter’s assistant coach Massimiliano Farris.

The match looked set to end in a draw before substitute Orsolini produced a brilliant winner, scoring his 12th league goal of the season. He is now level in the scorers’ chart with Inter striker Lautaro Martínez and Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku.

Empoli and Venezia played out a result that will have disappointed both sides – they drew 2-2 to leave both clubs in the relegation zone. All four goals came in the second half, with Jacopo Fazzini opening the scoring for the hosts just before the hour mark, before John Yeboah equalised for Venezia eight minutes later.

The visitors then threatened to secure a vital victory thanks to Gianluca Busio firing home a rebound from close range, with only five minutes of regular time remaining. However, within two minutes the scores were level, as Tino Anjorin arced a right-footed shot in from an angle on the edge of the box for Empoli.

The two sides are now one point from safety behind fourth-bottom Lecce, although they each boast superior goal difference. Empoli are still to play fifth-bottom Parma – who sit three points ahead of them – at home.

In the Bundesliga, reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen slipped up with a 1-1 draw at St Pauli to drop eight points behind leaders Bayern Munich as their slim hopes of defending their title were all but ended.

Second-placed Leverkusen, who won the domestic league and Cup double last season without defeat, conceded a 78th-minute equaliser. They now have 64 points after 30 matches, with Bayern top on 72 after their 4-0 win over Heidenheim on Saturday.

Forward Patrik Schick headed in an Álex Grimaldo free-kick to give Leverkusen a 33rd-minute lead for the visitors with his 18th league goal of the campaign.

However, they could not score again and St Pauli gradually fought their way back, levelling in the 78th after goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky failed to gather the ball from a weak free-kick, spilling it into the path of Carlo Boukhalfa, who tapped in.

Carlo Boukhalfa celebrates his equaliser against Bayer Leverkusen 12 minutes from the end. Photograph: Christian Charisius/AP

Borussia Dortmund struck three times in nine first-half minutes to battle past visiting Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 in the Bundesliga, and keep their slim hopes of a top four finish alive with four matches left to play.

Only five days after their Champions League exit to Barcelona despite a 3-1 quarter-final second leg win, Dortmund came from a goal down to bag the win that lifted them to seventh on 45 points, four off fourth spot, the last place to offer automatic Champions League qualification.

The hosts had complete control at the start with more than 70% possession and two good chances before Gladbach struck against the run of play with Ko Itakura in the 24th minute.

Daniel Svensson acrobatically celebrates what proved to be the decisive goal for Borussia Dortmund against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Photograph: Bernd Thissen/AP

The Japanese, however, allowed Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy too much space in the box four minutes before the break to drill in from a Pascal Gross cutback.

Only three minutes later in an almost identical move it was Felix Nmecha who slotted in to put them in front before Daniel Svensson headed in on the rebound deep in first-half stoppage time. Gladbach pulled a goal back with a Kevin Stöger penalty in the 56th but Dortmund held on for their third league win in the last four games.

In Ligue 1, Canada striker Jonathan David scored two goals and set up the other as Lille beat Auxerre 3-1 to maintain their push for a Champions League place.

This story will be updated