TROY PARROTT ENDED 2024 on a high with the winning goal for AZ Alkmaar as they moved into fifth place in the Dutch Eredivisie.

The Republic of Ireland international reacted quickest in the box to head home the only goal of the game against Twente.

The win saw AZ leapfrog their opponents in the table and Parrott is now the the third highest scorer in the league, just two shy of the leader Sem Steijn on 12.

In Spain, Atletico Madrid came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Barcelona and claim leadership of La Liga.

Pedri sent the Catalans ahead but second-half goals from Rodrigo De Paul and Alexander Sorloth helped Diego Simeone’s side move three points clear at the top of the table, having played one match fewer than Barca.

Hansi Flick’s side dominated at the Olympic stadium but Atletico clung on before claiming a 12th consecutive victory across all competitions with Sorloth’s stoppage-time strike.

Barcelona started the season in superb form but have stumbled in recent weeks and have now won just one of their last seven league games.

This was their third consecutive home league defeat, their worst such run since 1987, while it was also Simeone’s first ever away triumph against Barcelona in La Liga.

Champions Real Madrid face Sevilla on Sunday and can also move ahead of Barcelona with a victory.

Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen closed the gap on Bayern Munich at the top of the German Bundesliga to four points after Patrik Schick scored four in a 5-1 victory over Freiburg.

The final Bundesliga games of the year struck a bleak tone following the deadly car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 200.

Players and many fans wore black armbands with a minute’s silence preceding each fixture.

On the field, Xabi Alonso’s side were looking to limit Bayern’s dominance at the top of the table ahead of the winter break.

Star man Florian Wirtz missed the chance to put Leverkusen ahead from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, seeing his spot-kick saved brilliantly by Noah Atubolo.

Germany’s under-21 keeper Atubolo has now saved the last three penalties he has faced, but there was little that he could do about what followed.

With the game still deadlocked in first-half stoppage time, Wirtz set-up Schick, whose touch and delicate finish provided the moment of quality that the game needed.

Wirtz’s early penalty miss was already a distant memory by the 51st minute, when the Germany star engineered a shooting angle and rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

As the rain hammered down in Leverkusen, Freiburg seized on a loose pass to muster a goal out of nothing with Vincenzo Grifo guiding into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

But Leverkusen re-established their two-goal cushion with Wirtz again assisting for Schick, who headed in to make it 3-1.

Wirtz put yet another on a plate for Schick, who brought up his hat-trick, before adding his fourth – Leverkusen’s fifth – to complete the rout.

The victory takes the champions four points behind Bayern, who routed RB Leipzig 5-1 on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Napoli moved to the top of Serie A with a laboured 2-1 win over Genoa, the team’s fourth victory in their last five outings.

Frank Anguissa and Amir Rrahmani scored Napoli’s goals in an eight-minute spell in the first half before Andrea Pinamonti cut the deficit early in the second period.

Genoa were on top for large parts of the remainder of the game with Mario Balotelli squandering a great opportunity to equalise in the 85th minute.

“In another situation we would be crying bitter tears,” said Napoli coach Antonio Conte.

“It’s right that the boys enjoy the three points but at the same time understand that the games must be played from start to finish, always trying to keep the foot on the accelerator.

“In the second half I didn’t like anything, absolutely.”

Napoli have 38 points, one ahead of Atalanta who can reclaim pole position on Sunday when they hunt an 11th successive win at home to Empoli.

– © AFP 2024