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• Barcelona could demand Real Madrid replay if ‘phantom goal’ deemed legal

  Barcelona president Joan Laporta has threatened legal action and could demand a replay after his side were denied a goal against Real Madrid at the weekend.

  Lamine Yamal thought he had scored in the 28th minute of Sunday’s 3-2 LaLiga loss at the Bernabeu but, after a lengthy VAR check, it was ruled the ball had not cross the line.

  The Spanish competition does not use goalline technology.

  Laporta has requested footage and audio of the decision-making over this “phantom goal” incident from the Spanish Football Federation and will then consider further action.

  He said in a statement on the club’s website, fcbarcelona.com: “If, once this documentation has been analysed, the club understands that an error was made in the revision of the incident, we will take all available measures to reverse the situation, without discounting, obviously, any necessary legal action.

  “If it is confirmed that it was a legal goal, we will move ahead and we do not discount requesting that the game be replayed, just as has happened in another game in Europe due to a VAR error.”

  Laporta was referring to a decision to replay a Belgian Pro League between Anderlecht and Genk because of a VAR error earlier this season.

  Real went on to win the match 3-2 with a stoppage-time winner from Jude Bellingham and are now 11 points clear of Barca at the top of the table.

• Daniel Farke says seven-goal thriller was ‘good advertisement’ for Championship

  Leeds manager Daniel Farke believes Leeds’ 4-3 victory over Middlesbrough was a “good advertisement” for Championship football.

  An end-to-end encounter at the Riverside produced five goals in just the first half, starting with the hosts taking an early lead through Isaiah Jones.

  Leeds netted two goals in 11 minutes when Summerville slotted home from the spot and Patrick Bamford came back to haunt the Riverside after bundling a goal home.

  Emmanuel Latte Lath drew Boro level on the 30 minute mark but Wilfried Gnonto restored the visitors’ advantage in a frenetic first 45 minutes.

  Summerville bagged his second of the game after the break with a curling strike and there was late drama when Latte Lath scored a looping header in the 87th minute but Leeds held on for the three points.

  Reflecting on a thrilling clash, Farke believes his players showed “great mentality” to see out victory.

  He said: “First of all a good advertisement for Championship football, I think all the supporters have enjoyed the game.

  “(It was) a great piece of football from two good sides who really went for it to win this game.

  “To start the game with this unlucky goal, deflected pass that normally wouldn’t have been a chance, they scored out of this.

  “Middlesbrough played today with freedom because it was more or less their last highlight, they could go for it and had a really good shape, then they are 1-0 up after just a few moments.

  “To show such a reaction in the first half to come back to create so many chances, to score fantastic goals, was great for us to have.

  “Compliments to Middlesbrough, they showed a fantastic performance, but great mentality from our players to lead 3-2 at half-time.

  “We needed to show some steel and resilience in the last minutes to dig in and grind out this important result for us and we did.

  “Many compliments for the heart, the mentality and the character of our players today and for their offensive quality.”

  The result means Leeds climb to second in the table, overtaking Ipswich who have three games left this season compared to the Yorkshire club’s two.

  Boro remain ninth in the table and boss Michael Carrick praised his side for their “incredible effort” but believes Gnonto’s goal, which appeared to be offside, was a “massive decision” in the game.

  “I enjoyed the game, I thought we did a lot of good things,” he said.

  “They’ve got some good quality and they’ve showed it all season. At the top end of the pitch they’re really dangerous.

  “I thought we defended largely in shape really well, we were really good with the ball and dominated and controlled large parts of the game.

  “I was really pleased with the boys and the effort was an incredible effort all the way to the end. We went for it, we had to go for it, we threw everything at them.

  “The offside goal is a massive decision. We asked the boys to defend well and hold the line together, the line’s impeccable really and I think there’s three of them in the line around the edge of the box hold the line.

  “You expect offsides given, which it was too clear not to be.”

• Leeds edge out Middlesbrough and climb to second in the Championship

  Crysencio Summerville’s brace boosted Leeds’ hopes of automatic promotion as they edged to a 4-3 victory against Middlesbrough in a thrilling Sky Bet Championship clash.

  A relentless opening saw five goals scored in the first half alone, starting with Boro going in front through Isaiah Jones just seven minutes in, but the visitors soon got their foot back in the game with goals from Summerville and Patrick Bamford in the space of 11 minutes.

  An enthralling end-to-end encounter saw Emmanuel Latte Lath level on the 30 minute mark but Wilfried Gnonto restored Leeds’ advantage from a ruthless attack.

  Summerville extended the advantage in the second half before Latte Lath’s header threatened a late comeback. However, Leeds held on for a victory which means they leapfrog Ipswich into second place, albeit having played a game more than the Suffolk club.

  Middlesbrough took the lead in the seventh minute when Luke Thomas won the ball on the left flank and played in Finn Azaz, who flicked a quick pass to an onrushing Latte Lath.

  Illan Meslier came out to block the ball, which bounced underneath him and into the path of Jones, who raced past defender Junior Firpo and stabbed the ball into an empty net.

  Leeds composed themselves and equalised just seven minutes later when Anfernee Dijksteel clipped Georginio Rutter’s ankles in the area and Summerville stepped up to fire the subsequent spot-kick into the bottom left corner.

  The visitors took the lead in the 18th minute when former Boro striker Bamford came back to haunt the Riverside, bundling in Firpo’s cross with his thigh past goalkeeper Seny Dieng.

  After threatening from some corners, Boro got an equaliser on the half-hour mark when Leeds were dispossessed from a throw-in in their own half. Azaz found an unmarked Latte Lath on the edge of the box and Meslier could only palm the forward’s powerful strike into the net.

  Leeds regained their lead nine minutes later with a well-worked attack through the middle involving Archie Gray, with Summerville threading the ball into Gnonto, who smashed it past Dieng.

  The visitors nearly had another just minutes later in a similar style, but Bamford’s effort was pawed away by Dieng and Sammy Silvera smashed a shot over the bar just before the break.

  The hosts patiently passed around the pitch in a quieter start to the second half and Lewis O’Brien and Dijksteel tested Meslier with some dangerous crosses.

  However, Leeds dealt the next blow from another devastating break in the 61st minute when Firpo played through to Summerville in acres of space on the left and the forward scored his second of the evening with a curling shot across goal.

  The game still had another twist when Latte Lath set up a manic finale after looping a header over Meslier from a pinpoint cross in the 87th minute.

  The visitors were forced into some frenetic defending and Meslier made a low dive to deny Jonny Howson’s effort in stoppage-time to wrap up victory.