French referee François Letexier picked to handle Spain-England final of Euro 2024

BERLIN: Leroy Sane spared Bayern Munich’s blushes with two second-half goals on Saturday, as the Bundesliga leaders beat relegation-threatened St. Pauli 3-2 to stay six points clear at the top of the table.
Sane settled Bayern’s nerves after an uneasy first half, as Vincent Kompany’s side struggled once again against weaker opposition.
“It was a bit tight at the end, but we are really happy to have got the three points,” Sane told Sky.
Having dropped unexpected points against Bochum and Union Berlin in recent weeks, Bayern were under pressure to avoid a third slip after reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen narrowed the gap to three points with a 3-1 win over Bochum on Friday.
Sane insisted that pressure was a good thing for Bayern, “because it helps us keep our rhythm when we know we have to win every game.”
Yet they looked sluggish against a fearless St. Pauli side who almost took the lead early on when a Jackson Irvine header hit the bar.
The visitors handed Bayern the opener on a silver platter just two minutes later, when Siebe Van der Heyden was caught napping at left-back.
Van der Heyden was robbed of possession by Jamal Musiala and Bayern swarmed into the box, allowing Harry Kane to sweep the ball in from close range.
It was Kane’s first goal against St. Pauli, meaning he has now scored against every team he has faced in the Bundesliga.
Unbowed, the visitors snatched a deserved equalizer just before the half-hour mark through Elias Saad.
The Tunisian forward slipped under the radar in the Bayern box and tapped in a Manolis Saliakas cross to score his first goal since September.
Sane restored the lead after half-time, smashing the ball in unchallenged after a clever switch of play left him with acres of space on the left.
He sealed the win 20 minutes from time, turning in a Kane cross from close range after a ruthless Bayern transition.
Yet Bayern still had to survive a nervy final few minutes after Lars Ritzka pulled one back for St. Pauli in added time.
And there was more bad news for the Bavarians as defender Hiroki Ito was forced off in the final minutes, adding to a growing list of injury concerns.
Elsewhere, RB Leipzig suffered a blow in the race for the Champions League with a 1-0 defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
A poacher’s finish from Alassane Plea saw Gladbach snatch a valuable three points and leapfrog Leipzig into fifth.
Werder Bremen overtook Borussia Dortmund in mid-table thanks to a comfortable 3-0 win over bottom club Holstein Kiel.
Marvin Ducksch whipped a brilliant free-kick into the top corner from a tight angle to give Bremen the lead in the first half.
Felix Agu doubled the lead after the break with an equally elegant finish, curling the ball under the bar from the edge of the penalty area, before Marco Gruell made it three in added time.
Kiel are now five points adrift of safety after fellow strugglers Heidenheim snatched a 1-0 win away to Wolfsburg thanks to a first-half penalty from Marvin Pieringer.
Augsburg’s Samuel Essende broke a Bundesliga record in his side’s 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim, scoring the fastest goal ever by a substitute.
Essende netted just 10 seconds after coming on at half-time, but Andrej Kramaric levelled from the spot later in the second half, ending a 683-minute run without conceding for Augsburg goalkeeper Finn Dahmen.

BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Saturday he is focussed on winning games despite the threat of a potential punishment for an ineligible line-up rumbling on in the background.
Flick selected Inigo Martinez in the 3-0 win over Osasuna in La Liga on Thursday, after the Spanish defender had withdrawn injured from the national team squad for their recent Nations League matches.
Osasuna appealed to the Spanish football federation on Friday over Martinez being ineligible, citing FIFA rules regarding players which have not joined up with their national teams when called on.
“We won three points and this is my focus, so I’m focussing on the next match against Girona,” Flick told a news conference Saturday, a day before leaders Barcelona host Girona in La Liga.
“The other thing is not in my hands, it’s not about me.”
FIFA rules state that players cannot appear for their clubs within five days of the last national team match, if they did not join the squad when called upon without the federation’s permission.
Martinez played 90 minutes against Osasuna after pulling out of international duty with knee discomfort, as Barcelona took a three-point lead at the top of the table.
The match was played on Thursday after being initially postponed from March 8, when a Barca club doctor died, with neither side wanting to play it this week but both having appeals against it rejected.
Flick lined up against Osasuna with star striker Robert Lewandowski on the bench, although he later scored when appearing as a substitute.
The Polish veteran has 23 goals in La Liga, leading the scoring charts, known as the Pichichi, ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe on 20.
“Lewandowski is focussed on the success of the team, not just winning the Pichichi,” said Flick.
“Of course he wants to score goals, he wants to play, but he also sees what the team needs.
“This makes me really proud, about the behavior of Lewy, and it was a really great situation, a great moment and everything went the right way against Osasuna, so it’s something I really appreciate.”