LAST UPDATE | 9 Dec 2023
Bundesliga
BAYERN MUNICH SUFFERED a jolt to their title defence, losing their first league game of the season 5-1 in Frankfurt on Saturday while RB Leipzig triumphed 3-2 at 10-men Borussia Dortmund.
In a wet and wild contest in Frankfurt, the hosts raced into an extraordinary 3-0 first-half lead, with Omar Marmoush, Junior Dina Ebimbe, and Hugo Larsson scoring the goals as Dino Toppmoeller’s side outmuscled a timid Bayern.
Joshua Kimmich dragged Bayern back into the match just before half-time but French midfielder Ebimbe had other ideas, capping a scintillating counter-attack after a mistake by Dayot Upamecano to make it four.
Ansgar Knauff added a fifth to put the game out of reach for Thomas Tuchel’s side to complete a memorable performance for Frankfurt, who become the first team to score five goals against Bayern in the first 60 minutes of a league game since Frankfurt themselves, in 1975.
A stunned Tuchel said after the game that his side were punished by a Frankfurt team who were callous in front of goal.
“We didn’t defend consistently and were punished mercilessly today,” Tuchel told German broadcaster ARD.
“That’s why this result is very difficult to digest on the scoreboard. We deserved to lose. Not 5-1, but we deserved to lose. That is the bottom line.”
Leaders Bayer Leverkusen retain their three-point cushion and travel to third-place Stuttgart on Sunday on a weekend when six of the Bundesliga’s top seven face each other.
In the late game contested between two sides in the chasing pack, Leipzig beat Dortmund in an absorbing contest at Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund were dealt an early blow with Mats Hummels’ red card, which denied the visitors a penalty but they went on to take the lead in the 32nd minute through a Ramy Bensebaini own goal.
Ten-man Dortmund clawed their way back into the contest through Niklas Suele’s close-range finish on the stroke of half-time – but Leipzig’s Austrian forward Christoph Baumgartner tapped in to put Leipzig back in front early in the second half.
Yussuf Poulsen struck as the clock ticked into injury time to make it three goals and three points, keeping Leipzig fourth and opening a gap of four points to fifth-placed Dortmund, despite Niclas Fuellkrug’s late header briefly giving Dortmund hope.
Union Berlin won their first game since August 26 with a 3-1 victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach ensuring a winning start in the Bundesliga under new coach Nenad Bjelica.
The Croatian boss ran down the touchline to join the celebrations with his players as the team climbed to 15th.
Elsewhere, Werder Bremen arrested a four-game winless slump with a 2-0 win over Augsburg, secured by Niklas Stark’s first-half strike and Marvin Ducksch’s, midway through the second
Heidenheim edged out Darmstadt with a 3-2 win in a meeting of two of the newly-promoted strugglers. Jan Schoeppner scored twice for Heidenheim, which leaves Darmstadt winless in seven Bundesliga games.
La Liga
Leaders Real Madrid stumbled to a 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Saturday as Aitor Ruibal’s brilliant strike cancelled out Jude Bellingham’s league-best 12th goal of the season.
Bellingham slotted Madrid ahead at the Benito Villamarin early in the second half after combining magnificently with Brahim Diaz.
But Ruibal drilled an angled shot into the top corner from outside the area to earn Betis a point and extend their unbeaten run in La Liga to 11 matches.
“It was a good game, competitive and even, the result is a fair one,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
“I’m satisfied because you’re not always going to be able to win every game.”
Madrid pulled one point clear of Girona but could lose top spot on Sunday if the surprise challengers beat neighbours Barcelona in a Catalan derby.
The visitors thought they had taken the lead when Diaz turned in from close range on 16 minutes after a superb exchange between Bellingham and Rodrygo.
Bellingham backheeled the ball towards Rodrygo who slid the ball between the legs of a defender. An attempted clearance ricocheted off Rodrygo and left Diaz with a tap-in, but the Brazilian was offside in the build-up.
Chasing a fifth successive home league win, Betis twice went close as Ayoze Perez saw an attempt well saved by Andriy Lunin before Willian Jose bent an effort narrowly wide of the far post.
Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva clawed behind a long-range drive from Luka Modric, but he was powerless to stop Bellingham breaking the deadlock eight minutes after half-time.
The England midfielder retrieved the ball deep in Betis territory near the touchline, finding Diaz and chesting down the scooped return pass as he strode into the box and stroked past Silva.
Madrid’s lead lasted only 13 minutes as Ruibal was afforded far too much time and space before he rifled home from 20 metres, grabbing his first league goal in a two-and-a-half years.
Both teams pushed for a winner and former Madrid attacker Isco nearly undid his old club when he headed against the post.
Joselu dribbled an effort agonisingly wide in stoppage time at the other end before Lunin tipped over centre-back Chadi Riad’s header with the last touch of the game.
“Nobody can say it’s a bad point against Real Madrid, but I think we deserved the three points,” said Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini.
Real Sociedad ran out 3-0 winners at Villarreal with all three goals coming less than 10 minutes before half-time as they overtake Basque neighbours Athletic Bilbao in fifth spot.
Mikel Merino opened the scoring on 38 minutes, before Martin Zubimendi doubled the lead three minutes later and Takefusa Kubo wrapped up the encounter in the fourth minute of additional time.
Las Palmas continued their promising run on their return to the top flight, winning 1-0 at Alaves courtesy of Kirian Rodriguez’s goal that moved them back up to eighth place.
Barca could trim the gap to Madrid to two points if they beat Girona on Sunday, while Atletico Madrid will attempt to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat at Montjuic when they play bottom club Almeria.
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