AMSTERDAM — A few Americans were left to reflect on disappointing Sunday results, with Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel the most heartbroken as a Mario Balotelli penalty kick deep into stoppage time gave Manchester City a 3-2 home win.
The game between two of the Premier League’s main title challengers remained scoreless into the break, in part thanks to Friedel's big stop on a Sergio Agüero point-blank chance. Spurs fell behind two in the span of four minutes early second half, then stormed back with two quick goals of their own to re-knot the score over the following six minutes.
Eventually, though, Balotelli's spot conversion knocked Tottenham eight points back of City's EPL lead and dealt Friedel his first defeat in six weeks.
Meanwhile, in Serie A, Michael Bradley and Chievo also suffered at the death when Lecce veteran David Di Michelle scored a last-gasp equalizer to even the score at 2-2.
The US midfielder was in fine form for most of the match, but the hosts were first able to slice into Chievo's early two-goal lead when Andrea Esposito jumped over Bradley to nod home a corner kick at the half-hour mark. The Flying Donkeys nudged up to ninth with the draw, but stayed winless in five on the road.
Eredivisie action saw Jozy Altidore on for the final 17 minutes as AZ Alkmaar settled for a 1-1 derby draw with visiting Ajax. Despite dropping points on Simon Poulsen's 75th-minute own-goal, the Kaasboeren maintained their one-point edge at the top.
Over in the Bundesliga, David Yelldell watched as sixth-place Bayer Leverkusen rallied past guests Mainz 05 for a 3-2 victory.
