MX23RW : Monday, January 4 10:36:05| >> :120:5027:5027:

La Liga roundup: Valencia thrash Real Madrid while Real Sociedad remain top

La Liga roundup: Valencia thrash Real Madrid while Real Sociedad remain top
© Reuters
Valencia's Carlos Soler scored a hat-trick of penalties against the defending LaLiga champions.

Real Madrid crashed to a 4-1 defeat at Valencia as Carlos Soler netted a hat-trick of penalties.

After Karim Benzema had put Real ahead in the 23rd minute, Soler’s first spot-kick and a bizarre Raphael Varane own goal had the hosts 2-1 up at the interval.

Soler subsequently added another penalty nine minutes into the second half, and then his third just after the after the hour mark following a handball by Sergio Ramos.

Raphael Varane (right) scored a first-half own-goal (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz).
Raphael Varane (right) scored a first-half own-goal (Alberto Saiz/AP)

It leaves Zinedine Zidane’s defending champions fourth in the LaLiga table, four points behind leaders Real Sociedad, who won 2-0 at home against a depleted Granada whose request to have the game postponed had been rejected.

Nacho Monreal and Mikel Oyarzabal, with a penalty, scored in the first half before Willian Jose had a spot-kick saved by Granada’s Angel Jimenez.

Sociedad’s Robin Le Normand was sent off in the closing stages and the table-toppers then kept out a penalty themselves as Alex Remiro denied Darwin Machis.

Villarreal are second, two points behind Sociedad, after a 3-1 win at Getafe.

Paco Alcacer’s early opener for the visitors was swiftly cancelled out by Mauro Arambarri, only for Manu Trigueros to restore Villarreal’s lead moments later. Gerard Moreno added their third after the break.

Real Valladolid registered their first win of the season as they beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 at home, with Fabian Orellana (penalty) and Marcos De Sousa netting before Inaki Williams’ late reply from the spot.

Levante and Alaves drew 1-1 at Ciutat de Valencia. Jose Luis Morales equalised for Levante after Alaves scored early through Lucas Perez, then had Edgar Mendez sent off.

In Serie A, AC Milan are two points clear at the top after a stoppage-time Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal salvaged a 2-2 home draw against Hellas Verona.

AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) scored a stoppage-time equaliser (Antonio Calanni/AP).
AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) scored a stoppage-time equaliser (Antonio Calanni/AP).

Milan were 2-0 down in the opening 20 minutes thanks to goals from Antonin Barak and Mattia Zaccagni, whose effort took a huge deflection off Davide Calabria, before Giangiacomo Magnani netted past his own keeper to reduce the deficit.

Ibrahimovic then missed a penalty midway through the second half before heading home in the final few moments.

There was also a last-gasp leveller at Lazio, where Felipe Caicedo’s goal denied Juventus a win that would have seen them in second place.

The champions had led from the 15th minute via Cristiano Ronaldo, but could not see out the win and sit four points off the top in fifth spot.

A point better off are Napoli, who won 1-0 at Bologna courtesy of a Victor Osimhen goal, and Roma after winning 3-1 at Genoa with a Henrikh Mkhitaryan hat-trick.

Atalanta and Inter Milan drew 1-1 at Gewiss Stadium, Lautaro Martinez’s goal cancelled out by Aleksei Miranchuk.

Torino drew 0-0 with Crotone, who had Sebastiano Luperto sent off.

In Ligue 1, second-placed Lille were beaten 3-2 at Brest, who scored all their goals in the first half.

Ronael Pierre-Gabriel, Romain Perraud and Irvin Cardona netted for the hosts before Burak Yilmaz replied with a penalty and another goal around the hour.

Yilmaz almost equalised late on but hit the woodwork and Lille suffered their first loss of the season to sit five points behind leaders Paris St Germain.

Lyon are fifth after Tino Kadewere’s brace saw them come from behind to win 2-1 at home against St Etienne, while Monaco are sixth having won by the same score at Nice, with Axel Disasi and Sofiane Diop getting their goals.

There was a remarkable game at the Stade Felix Bollaert-Delelis as Lens and Reims battled out a 4-4 draw, and Sunday’s other results were Angers winning 5-1 at Nimes, Nantes winning 2-0 at Lorient and Metz and Dijon drawing 1-1.

In the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen rose to fourth with a 4-3 home win over Borussia Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg were 2-1 winners at home against Hoffenheim.

ID:421644:cQx

Click here for more stories about Carlos Soler

Click here for more stories about Real Madrid

Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.

rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Atletico MadridAtletico1512212962338
2Real Madrid17113330151536
3Real Sociedad1886427131430
4Villarreal177822217529
5Barcelona1684430151528
6Sevilla158341811727
7Granada167361925-624
8Celta Vigo176562224-223
9Athletic Bilbao176381919021
10Real Betis176292031-1120
11EibarEibar174761416-219
12CadizCadiz165471120-919
13AlavesAlaves174671520-518
14Levante164662123-218
15Real Valladolid174671624-818
16Getafe164571217-517
17ElcheElche153751318-516
18Valencia163672224-215
19Osasuna163581525-1014
20Huesca171971426-1212

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!