Euro wrap: Real Madrid miss chance, PSG win, Dortmund slump
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 25: Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid battles for possession with Ruben Pena of Villarreal CF during the La Liga Santander match between Real Madrid CF and Villarreal CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 25, 2021 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Real Madrid missed the chance to go five points clear at the top of LaLiga as they were held 0-0 by Villarreal at the Bernabeu tonight.
The result means Carlo Ancelotti's side move onto 17 points, three above city rivals Atletico Madrid, who lost 1-0 away to Alaves earlier in the day.
Villarreal, meanwhile, remain unbeaten but have won just one of their six matches this term - four of which they have drawn 0-0.
"It's a bittersweet point because it's at home against a direct rival and you want to take the three points in these games; just one isn't what we wanted," Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said.
"Keeping a clean sheet is good given we've conceded in our last few games, though.
"We wanted to press them high but they dealt with us well in the first-half and it was tough to get the ball off them. We misplaced too many passes when we had it, but these things happen."
It was a frustrating affair for the hosts where clear-cut chances were few and far between, with the final ball too often lacking.
They wanted a penalty in the first half when defender Nacho collided with Raul Albiol in the box, however referee Jesus Gil Manzano waved away the protests.
Arnaut Danjuma looked most likely to score for the visitors, forcing Courtois into a couple of smart stops in each half.
Real defender Eder Militao sent a header wide after the break from a Marco Asensio freekick as Madrid struggled to make a breakthrough.
A combination of Isco and Vinicius Junior were denied by Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli as Unai Emery's side held on to secure a point.
Earier, Atlético Madrid’s title defence was dealt a blow as they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at lowly Alavés in LaLiga on Saturday.
Centre-back Víctor Laguardia’s fourth-minute header from a Rubén Duarte corner was enough for the hosts to secure their first win of the season as they moved off the foot of the table.
“We need to improve and ensure that our games are more consistent, because right now they really aren’t,” Diego Simeone said. “It’s always tough when the opposition closes up shop. We didn’t have the kind of speed or skill needed to undo them.
“The most important thing for us is to improve and grow and I’m confident we’re heading in the right direction with the work we’re doing.”
Paris St Germain put on a solid display in the opening half to maintain their perfect record in Ligue 1 with Idrissa Gueye's fine goal inspiring them to a 2-0 home win against Montpellier on Saturday.
Senegal midfielder Gueye fired home from just outside the box at a packed Parc des Princes and substitute Julian Draxler wrapped it up late to put the capital side on 24 points, 10 ahead of second-placed Olympique de Marseille who host RC Lens on Sunday and have two games in hand.
Nice are third after they got back to winning ways by beating bottom side St Etienne 3-0 away three days after conceding their first defeat of the season.
Champions Lille claimed their second consecutive win as Jonathan David's double gave them a 2-1 victory at Racing Strasbourg.
In the absence of Lionel Messi, who missed his second consecutive game to nurse a bruised knee, Angel Di Maria started up front for PSG, alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
The spark came from the midfield, with Gueye unleashing a fierce strike that went into the top corner to put the hosts ahead in the 14th minute.
Under sustained pressure, Montpellier reacted with a fine free kick by Teji Savanier which was parried by Keylor Navas, again favoured over Gianluigi Donnarumma to start in goal.
Neymar was lively again but was denied twice by Jonas Omlin, who could do nothing against Ander Herrera's shot three minutes before the break but was saved by his crossbar.
The second half was a less exciting affair with both teams struggling to find the target as Neymar continued to waste chances and Mbappe also lacked sharpness in the area.
Di Maria was replaced with Draxler in the 88th minute and it took the German only one minute to find the back of the net after being set up by Neymar.
PSG host Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach stunned 10-man Borussia Dortmund 1-0 with a goal from Denis Zakaria on Saturday to snap their opponents' three-game winning run in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund, playing without injured captain Marco Reus and top striker Erling Haaland, suffered their second loss of the season, dropping to fourth place on 12 points, four off leaders Bayern Munich as Gladbach notched up their second victory in six games.
Haaland, who has scored 47 goals in 48 league games for Dortmund, was ruled out earlier on Saturday after picking up an injury in Friday's final training.
Zakaria struck in the 37th minute after charging into the box, getting a lucky deflection to keep possession and then slotting in for the lead.
Things got worse for Dortmund, who host Sporting in the Champions League next week, three minutes later when Mo Dahoud got his marching orders following a second booking, putting his team firmly on the back foot and leaving defender Mats Hummels fuming.
"It is dumb to give the referee the chance (to send him off)," Hummels said of Dahoud's dissent that triggered a second booking following a foul. "I hope Mo knows that what he did was wrong.
"It is wrong to send him off but you should not even give the referee the chance to do it."
The hosts had a string of good chances in the second half on a frustrating return to Gladbach for Dortmund coach Marco Rose, who had coached the Foals for two years but left this season to join the Ruhr valley club.
The home fans gave him a fiery welcome, with jeers and whistles, after he had angered them by announcing his departure midway through last season with the team then missing out on the European spots.
Rose's team, without Haaland and Reus in attack, did not manage a single effort on goal over 90 minutes and dropped to fourth, one point behind third-placed VfL Wolfsburg, who lost 3-1 at Hoffenheim, and Bayer Leverkusen.
Gladbach move up to 11th on seven points.
In Serie A, One of Italian football’s most famous names returned to a Serie A scoresheet as Daniel Maldini netted in a 2-1 win for Milan over Spezia on his first league start for the club.
The 19-year-old followed in the footsteps of his father, Paolo, and grandfather, Cesare, both of whom were Milan greats, by scoring with a 48th-minute header.
Daniele Verde’s heavily deflected strike drew the home side level at the Stadio Alberto Picco, but a late goal from substitute Brahim Diaz restored Milan’s lead.
The win sent the Rossoneri to the top of the table with 16 points ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures. Spezia are 17th with four points.
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