LONDON: Midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Miralem Pjanic provided the moments of magic to inspire leading Serie A duo Juventus and AS Roma to battling victories on Sunday while Sergio Busquets’ goal in injury time gave Barcelona a 1-0 win at Valencia in La Liga.

Pirlo scored with aplomb deep into stoppage time as 10-man Juve snatched a 2-1 win over Torino in an intense Turin derby and Pjanic scored twice at the Stadio Olimpico where Roma beat a determined Inter Milan 4-2 with the gap between the sides remaining at three points.

Busquets, meanwhile, blasted in a rebound to secure the victory at Mestalla Stadium for Barca who closed to within two points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid whilst inflicting Valencia’s first home defeat of the season.

Elsewhere, Ivory Coast midfielder Max Gradel set up two goals as St Etienne ended a 20-year-wait for a home victory against third-placed Olympique Lyon when they trounced them 3-0 in Ligue 1’s fiercest derby to move within one point of their bitter rivals.

In the Bundesliga, last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund lost again on Sunday to drop to last place after 13 games after a 2-0 reverse at Eintracht Frankfurt.

PIRLO SCREAMER

Bruno Peres’ wonder goal had looked set to end the Bianconeri’s 24-match winning streak at Juventus Stadium in Turin, after he ran almost the entire length of the pitch before levelling with a delightful finish in the 22nd minute to cancel out Arturo Vidal’s 15th-minute penalty.

Juve were down to 10 men when Stephan Lichtsteiner was dismissed for a second booking after 77 minutes but Torino were undone in the final seconds when the ageless, classy Pirlo smashed Vidal’s lay-off past goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet from outside the area.

“I followed the move, [Arturo] Vidal did well to see me, and I shot out of desperation right at the end,” Pirlo told Sky Sport. “To win a derby in the final seconds and with 10 players gives us massive satisfaction.”

Juve’s 11th win of the campaign moved them to 34 points but Roma are just three points behind after a stirring home win over Roberto Mancini’s Inter.

PJANIC DOUBLE

Inter hoped to grab at least a share of the spoils away to Roma a week after battling to a 1-1 derby draw in Mancini’s first game back in charge after a six-year absence.

It was all square at the break after Andrea Ranocchia’s header wiped out Gervinho’s opener for Roma.

Jose Holebas restored Roma’s lead with a solo effort less than two minutes after the restart, and after former Roma forward Pablo Osvaldo brought Inter level, the visitors were undone by a second-half brace from Bosnia midfielder Pjanic.

Pjanic’s first came on the hour when he latched on to Francesco Totti’s delivery to beat Samir Handanovic in the Inter goal before he sealed the points for Roma in the final minute of time added on with a superbly-struck free-kick from 25 metres out on the left.

“I’m happy with my goals, we were superior to Inter and we deserved the win,” Pjanic told Sky Sport.

BUSQUETS STRIKES

Barca and Valencia each had plenty of chances in a scrappy game at the Mestalla that was settled when Spain midfielder Busquets pounced on a loose ball and smashed it high into the net in the fourth minute of added time.

“We are never satisfied with a draw and we pushed until the end,” Busquets said in an interview with Spanish television. “The ball fell to me after [Valencia goalkeeper Diego] Alves saved and I put everything into the shot.”

Barca’s victory moved them to 31 points, two behind leaders Real and two ahead of third-placed Atletico Madrid. Valencia dropped to fifth on 24 points, two behind Sevilla who thrashed visiting Andalusian rivals Granada 5-1 with striker Carlos Bacca leading the way with two goals.

GRADEL SHOW

Gradel set up goals for defender Moustapha Sall in the 18th minute and Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel in the 40th, before midfielder Renaud Cohade added a third midway through the second-half at Stade Geoffroy Guichard.

“I’ve been working hard and it’s paid off, hopefully I’ll get more games now,” Gradel, who came back in form after recent injuries, told French television.

The win helped St Etienne move up to fifth in the standings with 26 points from 15 games. They trail leaders Olympique Marseille by eight points while Lyon, who missed a second-half penalty through Alexandre Lacazette, stayed third with 27 ahead of Bordeaux on goal difference.

“St Etienne were stronger in the challenge and we paid heavily for it. They deserved to win,” Lyon captain Maxime Gonalons said.

ROCK BOTTOM

Dortmund’s Bundesliga troubles continued as they hit the woodwork and wasted a bagful of chances in a largely one-sided game but could do nothing to come back from a fifth-minute goal by Bundesliga top-scorer Alexander Meier, who took his tally to eight.

Haris Seferovic’s strike in the 78th was enough to inflict on Dortmund their eighth league defeat as the 2011 and 2012 champions dropped to last place on 11 points while Frankfurt climbed to ninth.

Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp vowed he would continue fighting to turn the side’s domestic season around.

“I consider myself fully responsible. Until someone comes along and tells me otherwise, I can’t go away. I can’t go until there’s a better solution,” Klopp said.

Published in Dawn December 2nd , 2014