Real Madrid squandered the chance to move four points clear at the top of LaLiga after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to city rivals Atletico.
Brahim Diaz’s early goal looked set to ensure Real took full advantage of Girona’s 0-0 draw against Real Sociedad on Saturday by extending their lead at the top of the table.
However, Marcos Llorente punished the home side for a lapse in concentration in the third minute of added time when he headed beyond Andriy Lunin as a static defence looked on.
The result left Real two points clear of Girona, who travel to the Bernabeu for a crunch top-of-the-table clash next weekend.
Real’s preparations for the third Madrid derby in less than a month suffered a major blow when Vinicius Junior picked up an injury in the warm up, but it was his replacement Diaz who opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a goal which owed a lot to two fortunate deflections.
The first saw Diaz’s attempted pass to Jude Bellingham rebound to an unmarked Lucas Vazquez, who also tried to cut the ball back to the England midfielder only for Koke to intercept. However, that only succeeded in diverting the ball straight to Diaz and he had the time and space to take two touches before lofting beyond Jan Oblak and into the net.
The visitors almost responded three minutes later, Axel Witsel’s header forcing a good save from Lunin and Stefan Savic glancing narrowly wide from the resulting corner.
It was a warning Real failed to heed and Atletico were somewhat unfortunate not to equalise just two minutes into the second half when Savic glanced Antoine Griezmann’s corner beyond a stationary Lunin.
The visitors’ celebrations were cut short however, with Saul Niguez adjudged to be impeding Lunin as he stood in an offside position, even though there appeared no chance the goalkeeper could have kept the ball out of his net.
That sparked Real into life and Toni Kroos fired a well-struck volley straight at Oblak from 25 yards before Rodrygo drew a more difficult save from the visiting goalkeeper, while Diaz curled a left-footed shot wide after playing the ball through the legs of Mario Hermoso.
But just when Carlo Ancelotti’s side appeared to have secured all three points, a hopeful ball into the box from Savic was flicked on by Memphis Depay and Llorente reacted quickest to direct a header into the top corner.
Milan 3-3 Genoa: Thiaw own goal denies Rossoneri in six-goal thriller
Milan were pegged back to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Genoa in Serie A on Sunday.
Second-half goals from Matteo Gabbia and Olivier Giroud put Milan on course for victory, but a late own goal from Malick Thiaw rescued a point for the visitors.
Genoa's Mateo Retegui converted a penalty five minutes in, but Milan equalised just before half-time through an Alessandro Florenzi header.
The visitors regained the lead three minutes into the second half, however, when Caleb Ekuban sent a towering header home.
Milan turned the game around in three minutes, as Gabbia headed home in the 72nd and Giroud scored the hosts' third of the match with a volley from an acute angle.
Yet Genoa continued to push and a cross into the Milan box was inadvertently turned into his own net by defender Thiaw.
Second-placed Milan have 71 points, six ahead of Juventus who play later on Sunday. Genoa are 12th with 43 points.
Data Debrief: Like a fine wine
Age really is just a number for Milan's veteran campaigner Giroud, who has scored 14 goals in Serie A this season.
It is his highest tally in a single league campaign since netting 16 for Arsenal in the Premier League in 2015-16.
Reggae Girlz forward Jody Brown graduates from Florida State University
Reggae Girl and Florida State University soccer star Jody Brown celebrated a significant milestone this past weekend as she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Humanities. At just 22 years old, Brown has achieved remarkable success both on the soccer field and in her academic pursuits.
Brown was among 101 student-athletes who graduated from FSU between last Friday and Saturday.
During her time at Florida State, Brown played a pivotal role in securing two National Division 1 Soccer titles in 2021 and 2023, adding to her impressive list of accolades. She was also part of four ACC Division One championship-winning teams in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, highlighting her exceptional talent and contribution to collegiate soccer.
Brown's impact extended beyond the field, as she excelled academically, culminating in her graduation this year. Reflecting on her university experience, Brown took to Instagram to express her gratitude and nostalgia: "Four years of unforgettable memories, lessons, and lifelong friendships. Thank you Florida State University."
Her Instagram post garnered warm congratulations from fellow Reggae Girlz teammates, including Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, Kiki van Zanten, and Tiffany Cameron. Jamaican track and field icon Veronica Campbell Brown, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 200m, also joined in celebrating Brown's achievement.
Brown's journey from representing Jamaica at the age of 16 to competing in the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019 and 2023 underscores her dedication and talent both on and off the field. As she embarks on the next chapter of her career, Brown's achievements serve as an inspiration to aspiring athletes and scholars alike, demonstrating the power of determination, resilience, and academic excellence in pursuit of one's goals.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-5 Bayer Leverkusen: Alonso's champions roll on
Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten streak as they secured a 5-1 away victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
The result leaves champions Leverkusen at the summit with 84 points, while Frankfurt sit sixth with 45.
Leverkusen's record unbeaten run, meanwhile, has now extended to 48 matches across all competitions.
Xabi Alonso's team opened the scoring through Granit Xhaka's bending strike from outside the box after 12 minutes.
Hugo Ekitike's perfectly timed header restored parity just after the half-hour mark, however.
Leverkusen retook the lead just before half-time through Patrik Schick's towering header.
It was 3-1 in the 58th minute, Exequiel Palacios converting a penalty after Niels Nkounkou pulled Nathan Tella by the shirt.
Jeremie Frimpong added a fourth for the visitors with 13 minutes remaining, tapping in from short distance, before the wing-back played a key role in Leverkusen's fifth, winning a penalty which was put away by Victor Boniface.
Data Debrief: Club history for free-scoring Leverkusen
Leverkusen have now scored 82 goals in this Bundesliga season, a new season record for the Werkself in the top flight.
They also lead the Bundesliga for the most goals from long-distance (11), most goals from set-pieces (23) and most goals in the final 15 minutes of matches (19).
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