Gab Marcotti reacts to a controversial end to Liverpool vs. Manchester City, as the hosts are denied a chance to win it from the penalty spot. On a Saturday in which Arsenal looked like they might lose pace with the Premier League 's title protagonists, they dug deep to steal a vital result.
Barcelona , too, kept their title hopes alive -- if only just. Inter Milan already have one hand and four fingers on the Serie A crown, and they showed why. Bayern Munich may be off the Bundesliga 's championship pace, but that didn't stop them from putting on a show against Mainz.
Let's get into the action. You might think that Xabi Alonso's team could run out of gas as we enter the final third of the season, but there are rarely any signs that Leverkusen will experience a drop-off in the next couple of weeks. In fact, the Rhineland side looked more vulnerable immediately after the winter break than right now. The only real point of concern is the striker position, with Victor Boniface still being sidelined due to an adductor injury.
Patrik Schick has not performed at his very best and Borja Iglesias , who joined Leverkusen on loan from Real Betis in January, needs more time to be integrated into Leverkusen's attack properly. A lack of force up front was also visible during their win over Wolfsburg on Sunday, with Leverkusen controlling the ball comfortably but being unable to create a decent number of big chances.
Still, with the numerical advantage due to Wolfsburg defender Moritz Jenz being sent off before the 30th minute, Leverkusen's 21st victory of the Bundesliga season seemed never really in danger. Their success against Wolfsburg was especially important because second-placed Bayern Munich have regained confidence in light of two decisive wins over Lazio and Mainz in recent days.
