LAST UPDATE | 25 Nov 2023
TROY PARROTT FOUND the net and provided an assist in Excelsior’s derby with Feyenoord but it wasn’t enough to stop the Rotterdam giants securing a 4-2 victory.
Santiago Gimenez scored a hat-trick for the visitors as they closed the gap on PSV at the top of the Eredivisie to four points.
The Mexico international gave his side a sixth minute lead before Parrott responded with a predatory finish in the box – his fourth goal of a loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur.
Arne Slot’s side produced two quickfire goals through Gimenez and Quinten Timber in the 61st and 66th minute respectively, before Republic Ireland international Parrott teed up Lazaros Lamprou to give Excelsior hope of a comeback.
They were dashed, however, when Gimenez completed his hat-trick eight minutes from time.
Elsewhere, in Spain, champions Barcelona slipped up in a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano, continuing a worrying run of underwhelming performances in LaLiga.
Surprise leaders Girona and rivals Real Madrid in second now have the chance to extend their lead on the third-place Catalans over the next two days.
Unai Lopez drove Rayo ahead from long range in the first half but Barca levelled through Florian Lejeune’s own goal in the 82nd minute.
The draw adds to the doubts around Barcelona, who have not been at their best for several weeks and face Porto on Tuesday seeking Champions League knock-out round qualification.
“I think it was a game of two halves, in the first we dominated but we weren’t aggressive enough to cause damage,” Xavi told DAZN.
“In the second we were, we scored a goal and could have had others … we need to win these games if we want to win the league.
“We have to be self-critical, it’s costing us too much this season giving things away … in modern football a lot changes when they score against you.”
In Germany, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka said “it is a dream” to play under Xabi Alonso after a 3-0 win at Werder Bremen helped his team back to the top of the Bundesliga.
The victory — Leverkusen’s 17th in 18 fixtures this season — reestablished their two-point lead over second-placed Bayern Munich.
Xhaka joined Leverkusen in the close-season from Premier League side Arsenal, where he played under Alonso’s childhood friend Mikel Arteta.
“It’s a dream for me to play under Xabi Alonso, he was a world-class player in the same position as me — I played against him myself,” Xhaka told Sky Germany.
“He gives me things that I can take…
“We have a great team, a great coach and a great mentality.
“We work hard daily and you can see the results on the ground.”
Xhaka is one of several summer signings to impress this season, along with Alex Grimaldo, who scored in the win over Bremen, Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann.
Leverkusen’s blistering start has some talking of a potential maiden Bundesliga title, while Borussia Dortmund came from two goals down to win 4-2 at home against Borussia Moenchengladbach.
“It definitely isn’t boring with us,” a relieved Dortmund coach Edin Terzic told reporters.
“To come back from 2-0 down after 28 minutes, with that energy and that spirit, I can only compliment my team.”
Dortmund conceded after 13 minutes, Rocco Reitz slicing through some lazy defence and sliding home the opener.
Gladbach doubled their lead shortly after, Manu Kone rocketing in a long-range shot.
Dortmund, winless in the league since mid-October, then kickstarted a remarkable turnaround, scoring twice in two minutes through Marcel Sabitzer and Niclas Fuellkrug to level the scores.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens gave Dortmund the lead shortly before half-time, the English teenager finding the corner of the net from a Fuellkrug pass.
Dortmund’s Donyell Malen added a fourth in the final seconds of the match, racing away to score into an empty net after Gladbach ‘keeper Moritz Nicolas went up for a corner.
Walter Mazzarri made a winning return as Napoli coach with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Atalanta pushing the champions up to third in Serie A.
Eljif Elmas netted the decisive goal 11 minutes from the end at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s headed opener for the away side on the stroke of half-time was levelled by a similar strike from Ademola Lookman.
North Macedonia midfielder Elmas rolled home the winner from substitute Victor Osimhen’s pass following Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi’s poor clearance, making sure that Napoli stayed in Italy’s Champions League positions.
Mazzarri’s team are still seven points behind leaders Inter Milan who travel to Turin on Sunday for the weekend’s big match at second-placed Juventus.
Napoli were briefly third but Milan moved back above their rivals thanks to Theo Hernandez’s penalty in a win in which 15-year-old Francesco Camarda became the youngest ever player to play in Serie A.
France full-back Hernandez calmly slotted home from the spot in first-half stoppage time after being brought down by Fabiano Parisi.
That was the highlight of an underwhelming performance from Milan, who were without suspended Olivier Giroud, Noah Okafor, star man Rafael Leao and others for their first win in five league matches.
Additional reporting from – © AFP 2023
