LA LIGA champions Real Madrid suffered a dent in their title defence with a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis on Saturday.
Isco scored the winner from the penalty spot against his former side, who are level on points with league leaders Barcelona.
The visitors took the lead at the Benito Villamarin stadium through Brahim Diaz but Betis struck back with a Johnny Cardoso header.
Isco secured the Andalusian side a deserved victory with a penalty early in the second half.
In the late game, Atletico Madrid scraped a nervy 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao to move provisionally top of La Liga.
After Real Madrid, third, lost 2-1 at Real Betis, Diego Simeone’s side capitalised at the Metropolitano stadium thanks to Julian Alvarez’s second-half strike.
The Basque side, fourth, hit the woodwork three times in the hunt for an equaliser but Atletico held on to move top.
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Barcelona, second and trailing by two points, can reclaim pole position with a win against Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Philip Billing kept Napoli right on Inter Milan’s tail at the top of Serie A after scoring a late equaliser in an exciting 1-1 draw in Naples.
Denmark midfielder Billing tapped home his first Napoli goal three minutes from the end at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and shortly after replacing Billy Gilmour, to keep second-placed Napoli one point behind Inter.
The 32-year-old, on loan from Bournemouth, scored after a driving run from Stanislav Lobotka, pouncing on the rebound when his first effort was saved by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez.
Up to that point, it had looked like Federico Dimarco’s stunning free-kick in the 22nd minute would be enough for Inter to strike a huge blow in their bid to retain the Scudetto.
Bayer Leverkusen cut Bayern Munich’s lead in the Bundesliga back to eight points ahead of the sides’ Champions League last 16 clash, with a 4-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern’s comeback win over Stuttgart on Friday had sent them 11 points clear of champions Leverkusen.
Wanting to keep their slim hopes of defending the Bundesliga title alive, Leverkusen did not blink against third-placed Frankfurt, scoring three goals in a seven-minute blitz to grab hold of the game.
Nathan Tella latched onto a defence-splitting Granit Xhaka pass and slotted home after 26 minutes.
Nordi Mukiele scored Leverkusen’s second three minutes later, prodding a loose ball into the goal through a crowded penalty area.
Patrik Schick scored four minutes later, sliding in an Alex Grimaldo pass, his 16th goal in his past 14 games.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike took advantage of a poor pass from Mukiele to score in the 37th minute.
Despite the hosts starting the second half brightly, a cracking long-range effort from Aleix Garcia with 63 minutes gone sealed a crucial win for Xabi Alonso’s side, who go to Bayern in Europe on Wednesday.
Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 4-1 win over Lille to extend their lead in France to 16 points ahead of their heavyweight Champions League clash with Liverpool.
Bradley Barcola, Marquinhos, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue all struck in the first half at the Parc des Princes as PSG extended their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 this season to 24 matches.
Jonathan David grabbed a consolation after coming on as a substitute for Lille, who go to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in the first leg of their last 16 tie.
PSG are cantering towards an 11th league title in 13 years but will face the biggest test of their season over the next two weeks against runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool, who had a rare weekend off.
Luis Enrique picked a strong team to face Lille including a number of probable starters against Liverpool on Wednesday, and PSG put the result beyond doubt inside the opening half-hour.
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Former Real Madrid player comes back to haunt them in shock defeat
Updated at 22.41
LA LIGA champions Real Madrid suffered a dent in their title defence with a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis on Saturday.
Isco scored the winner from the penalty spot against his former side, who are level on points with league leaders Barcelona.
The visitors took the lead at the Benito Villamarin stadium through Brahim Diaz but Betis struck back with a Johnny Cardoso header.
Isco secured the Andalusian side a deserved victory with a penalty early in the second half.
In the late game, Atletico Madrid scraped a nervy 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao to move provisionally top of La Liga.
After Real Madrid, third, lost 2-1 at Real Betis, Diego Simeone’s side capitalised at the Metropolitano stadium thanks to Julian Alvarez’s second-half strike.
The Basque side, fourth, hit the woodwork three times in the hunt for an equaliser but Atletico held on to move top.
Barcelona, second and trailing by two points, can reclaim pole position with a win against Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Philip Billing kept Napoli right on Inter Milan’s tail at the top of Serie A after scoring a late equaliser in an exciting 1-1 draw in Naples.
Denmark midfielder Billing tapped home his first Napoli goal three minutes from the end at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, and shortly after replacing Billy Gilmour, to keep second-placed Napoli one point behind Inter.
The 32-year-old, on loan from Bournemouth, scored after a driving run from Stanislav Lobotka, pouncing on the rebound when his first effort was saved by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez.
Up to that point, it had looked like Federico Dimarco’s stunning free-kick in the 22nd minute would be enough for Inter to strike a huge blow in their bid to retain the Scudetto.
Bayer Leverkusen cut Bayern Munich’s lead in the Bundesliga back to eight points ahead of the sides’ Champions League last 16 clash, with a 4-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern’s comeback win over Stuttgart on Friday had sent them 11 points clear of champions Leverkusen.
Wanting to keep their slim hopes of defending the Bundesliga title alive, Leverkusen did not blink against third-placed Frankfurt, scoring three goals in a seven-minute blitz to grab hold of the game.
Nathan Tella latched onto a defence-splitting Granit Xhaka pass and slotted home after 26 minutes.
Nordi Mukiele scored Leverkusen’s second three minutes later, prodding a loose ball into the goal through a crowded penalty area.
Patrik Schick scored four minutes later, sliding in an Alex Grimaldo pass, his 16th goal in his past 14 games.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike took advantage of a poor pass from Mukiele to score in the 37th minute.
Despite the hosts starting the second half brightly, a cracking long-range effort from Aleix Garcia with 63 minutes gone sealed a crucial win for Xabi Alonso’s side, who go to Bayern in Europe on Wednesday.
Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 4-1 win over Lille to extend their lead in France to 16 points ahead of their heavyweight Champions League clash with Liverpool.
Bradley Barcola, Marquinhos, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue all struck in the first half at the Parc des Princes as PSG extended their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 this season to 24 matches.
Jonathan David grabbed a consolation after coming on as a substitute for Lille, who go to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in the first leg of their last 16 tie.
PSG are cantering towards an 11th league title in 13 years but will face the biggest test of their season over the next two weeks against runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool, who had a rare weekend off.
Luis Enrique picked a strong team to face Lille including a number of probable starters against Liverpool on Wednesday, and PSG put the result beyond doubt inside the opening half-hour.
– © AFP 2025
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