Barcelona Suffer Fourth Liga Defeat, Go Down 2-1 to Cadiz Messi’S Barcelona Take ‘Gigantic Step Backwards’
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Established 1961 15 Monday, December 7, 2020 Sports Barcelona suffer fourth Liga defeat, go down 2-1 to Cadiz Messi’s Barcelona take ‘gigantic step backwards’ MADRID: Lionel Messi’s Barcelona suffered a ‘Difficult time’ fourth Liga defeat of the season as they went down Under-pressure Zidane said Madrid’s scrappy 1- 2-1 to Cadiz on Saturday, while Real Madrid eased 0 victory in Seville was significant after a testing the pressure on Zinedine Zidane with their first run of results. Sevilla goalkeeper Bono guided league win since October. Barca are now a distant Vinicius Junior’s effort into his own net in the sec- seventh, 12 points off leaders Atletico Madrid, who ond half, allowing Zidane’s side to take the three beat Real Valladolid 2-0. “It’s a gigantic step back- points and move up to third in the table, six points wards for our chances to fight for La Liga, you have behind Atletico. Following two defeats in the past to see it like that,” the Catalans’ coach Ronald three games, including a 2-0 defeat to Shakhtar Koeman said. “A points difference of 12 points with Donetsk in midweek that leaves Real’s Champions a team as strong as Atletico is enormous,” he added. League qualification hopes in the balance, Spanish Koeman made three changes from the midweek press reports have linked former Tottenham boss Champions League win at Ferencvaros with goal- Mauricio Pochettino and ex-Madrid forward Raul keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen coming in for Neto. to Zidane’s job. Zidane said he was satisfied with the But Ter Stegen made a first costly error in Andalusia points after a “difficult” time. after eight minutes as Alvaro Gimenez claimed his “These are three very important points for us. It’s second goal in as many games. The Barca defense a well-deserved win, against a very good opponent, failed to clear a corner which fell to Ter Stegen, but who can put you in trouble at any time. We got his weak parry onto his own line was tapped in by through this,” he said. “It has been a bit difficult late- Gimenez. ly, today we have to enjoy it, be happy, but nothing Koeman’s men were all-square after 56 minutes more.” Atletico, now unbeaten in 26 games in La as Jordi Alba’s low cross was deflected into his own Liga, moved to the top of the table after France inter- goal by defender Pedro Alcala. But Ter Stegen’s national Thomas Lemar and Spain midfielder Marcos second costly error came eight minutes later. Llorente scored for Diego Simeone’s men against Clement Lenglet made a hash of Alba’s throw in Valladolid. Atletico are among five clubs to remain before Ter Stegen failed to clear under pressure without a domestic defeat in Europe’s main five CADIZ: Cadiz’ Swiss defender Jean-Pierre Rhyner (left) vies with Barcelona’s Danish forward from Negredo and the former Manchester City leagues since the start of the season. Real Sociedad, Martin Braithwaite (center) and French defender Clement Lenglet during the Spanish League foot- striker claimed his third goal league goal of the who have lost just once in the league this term, could ball match between Cadiz and Barcelona on December 5, 2020. —AFP campaign. regain the lead if they beat Deportivo Alaves. —AFP night-for Mueller to head home the Mueller’s double equalizer on 75 minutes. “That really was a top game between two teams rescues Bayern in who really wanted to win,” said Forsberg. “It was awesome to be out Chelsea beat thrilling 3-3 draw there on the pitch - you live for games like that.” The result leaves Bayern Leeds, grab Premier BERLIN: Thomas Mueller netted two points clear at the top and twice as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Leipzig still waiting for a first win in Munich had to come from behind to Munich, after five attempts. League top spot draw 3-3 at home to RB Leipzig in LONDON: Frank Lampard believes there is even Saturday’s pulsating top-of-the-table Dortmund drop points more to come from Chelsea after the Blues moved clash. Leipzig, second in the Earlier, Borussia Dortmund top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Bundesliga, warmed up for Tuesday’s dropped more points as they labored Leeds on the night 2,000 fans returned to key Champions League clash at home to a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt Stamford Bridge. Lampard’s men had to bounce to Manchester United by pushing the with star striker Erling Braut Haaland back after Patrick Bamford’s early opener against European champions hard at the sidelined. The result left Dortmund his former club. But the home fans in attendance Allianz Arena. third in the table, four points behind MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer jumps for the after the coronavirus-enforced absence got a “We knew before the game that we Bayern. After suffering a shock 2-1 ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern glimpse of why the new-look Chelsea are now title could come back, but the fact we had home defeat last weekend against Munich v RB Leipzig on December 5, 2020. —AFP contenders as goals from Olivier Giroud, Kurt to do it was news to us,” said Mueller. struggling Cologne, Dortmund missed Zouma and Christian Pulisic extended their “At the end of the day, we can live the finishing of top scorer Haaland, unbeaten run to 16 games. with the result.” Christopher Nkunku’s who is out until January with a leg when Swiss striker Breel Embolo net- winless run by shocking Dortmund Victory takes Lampard’s men - reinforced by a early goal for Leipzig was cancelled injury. Dortmund’s defence was ted with an excellent first-time shot 2-1 last weekend, Cologne backed £220 million ($296 million) spending spree - a out by a superb equalizer from Jamal caught napping when they conceded on 23 minutes. Freiburg equalized it up with a 2-2 draw at home with point clear of Tottenham and Liverpool, who are in Musiala, 17, before Mueller tapped an early goal by Frankfurt’s Japan with a header by defender Philipp Wolfsburg to climb to 15th. action on Sunday at home to Arsenal and Wolves home to put Bayern 2-1 up. However, midfielder Daichi Kamada. Dortmund Lienhart and then took the lead just Cologne’s 18-year-old striker Jan respectively. “We are a (team in) progression,” the lead lasted barely a minute as raised their tempo and equalized with after the break when Vincenzo Grifo Thielmann opened the scoring, but said Lampard. “When you bring in new players Justin Kluivert-son of former Dutch a superb strike from 18-year-old US converted a penalty. Gladbach leveled Maximilian Arnold equalised with a and have young players, people moving to a new star Patrick Kluivert-levelled before forward Giovanni Reyna, but they when Alassane Plea hit the top corner magnificent free-kick. Winger country, different city, different teammates, it takes half-time with his first goal for failed to breach the Frankfurt defense of the net with a wonderful curling Ondrej Duda restored Cologne’s time. I think there is more uplift in us. Leipzig. A thumping Emil Forsberg again despite finishing the stronger. shot on 50 minutes. The result leaves lead when he shot into the corner “Whether it is this season we can get to real header from an Angelino cross put Borussia Moenchengladbach, who Freiburg 14th, a point from the bottom on 43 minutes, but Wout Weghorst heights we want, we don’t know. It’s a long season. visitors Leipzig 3-2 ahead soon after will try and clinch a place in the three, while Gladbach are seventh and rescued a point away for Consistency is our next challenge but we’re mov- the break. Champions League last 16 next week are seven points behind Bayern. Wolfsburg just after the break. ing in the right direction.” Edouard Mendy had Bayern took a share of the points away to Real Madrid, drew 2-2 draw Cologne are only out of the relega- conceded just once in six previous Premier when Kingsley Coman produced a at Freiburg, where they have not won Demirbay quarantined tion places on goal difference while League appearances to solve Chelsea’s goalkeep- towering cross-his third assist of the since 2002. Gladbach went ahead Having ended their 18-match Wolfsburg are fifth.—AFP ing woes, but the Ivorian was partly at fault as Bamford kept up his fine start to the season after tory in stoppage time as he brought just four minutes. Mbappe brings up up his century of goals in his 137th The Leeds striker never made a first-team game for PSG, tapping in a Layvin appearance in five years at Chelsea but is proving century as PSG Kurzawa cross. “I’ve been wanting to his doubters wrong back in the top-flight. He score for a few matches, it’s a bit of a scored his eighth goal in 11 games with a calm fin- win at Montpellier release,” Mbappe told Canal Plus. ish to round a hesitant Mendy after Kalvin Phillips’s pass opened up the Blues defense. Giroud PARIS: Kylian Mbappe scored his “When I signed here I wouldn’t even had thought of scoring three goals,” earned his first Premier League start of the season 100th goal for Paris Saint-Germain after scoring four times against Sevilla in the after making a late appearance as a he beamed.