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Fortuna beat Dortmund in first league loss this term
Bundesliga pacesetters Borussia Dortmund suffered a shock 2-1 loss at promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf, on Tuesday, that snapped their unbeaten league start and cut their lead to six points.
Goals from Dodi Lukebakio and Jean Zimmer in either half secured an unexpected three points against the overwhelming title favourites Dortmund, who remain on 39 points.
Second-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach moved to 33 points by beating Nuremberg 2-0, having missed a penalty. Champions Bayern Munich, third on 30, host RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
"I think we were missing the greed to want to win the game," said Dortmund captain Marco Reus.
"Overall the defeat was deserved because we did not deliver. We have to learn from this and be more determined."
"Now we must stand up and dust off and on Friday we have the next game," he added.
Dortmund next face Gladbach with the chance to open a nine-point gap over their title rivals with a home victory before the Bundesliga heads into the winter break.
As expected, Dortmund, who had only lost in the Champions League this term, had most possession, with some 75 per cent in the first half, but Duesseldorf created the chances.
The home side's Belgian winger Lukebakio, who got a hat-trick against Bayern Munich last month, notched his seventh league goal this season after a quick break in the 22nd minute.
There was more bad news for Dortmund at halftime with central defender Manuel Akanji staying in the dressing room with a muscle injury.
Jean Zimmer then scored Duesseldorf's second goal in the 56th with an unstoppable piledriver from 20 metres that gave keeper Roman Buerki no chance.
Dortmund, who face Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League last 16 in February, increased the pressure and substitute Paco Alcacer headed home his 12th goal of the campaign -- his 10th as a substitute -- to cut the deficit in the 81st minute.
But despite a one-sided finale, Dortmund could not find an equaliser and suffered their first loss of the league campaign.
"They caught us on the break really well and we were a bit surprised by the first goal," said Dortmund coach Lucien Favre after his first league loss on the club's bench. "My team is still very, very young and we keep learning every day."
Late penalty gives Caen Ligue 1 win, PSG progress in Cup
Caen scored a stoppage-time penalty to beat Toulouse 2-1 in a Ligue 1 relegation battle on Tuesday, while League Cup holders Paris St Germain won their opening tie to reach the last eight.
Faycal Fajr coolly slotted home Caen's winning penalty in the ninth minute of added time after the referee gave the spot kick with the help of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Saif-Eddine Khaoui had put the home side ahead after 18 minutes but Toulouse captain Max Gradel equalised with a penalty a minute before halftime.
The win takes Caen up two spots to 16th on 17 points, a point and a place behind Toulouse.
The Normandy club are also a point ahead of Amiens and Dijon, four in front of AS Monaco and seven clear of bottom side Guingamp with all four having a game in hand.
League leaders Paris St-Germain were on League Cup duty as they opened their campaign with Edinson Cavani and substitute Moussa Diaby scoring either side of Joseph-Romeric Lopy's equaliser for second-tier Orleans to record a 2-1 last-16 win.
Record eight-time winners PSG have claimed the League Cup every year since 2014 and Tuesday's hard-fought win extended their unbeaten run in the competition to 21 games as they bid for an unprecedented sixth title in a row.
No joy for Milan's Gattuso or Bologna's Inzaghi in the cold
AC Milan played out a dull 0-0 draw at Bologna on a freezing, foggy night in Serie A on Tuesday, bringing little to cheer the two under-fire coaches Gennaro Gattuso and Filippo Inzaghi.
Milan, knocked out of the Europa League by Olympiakos Piraeus on Thursday, were involved in a second straight goalless Serie A stalemate, while Bologna remained in the relegation zone after extending their winless run to nine league games.
The good news for the visitors, who had Tiemoue Bakayoko sent off in the 76th minute, was that they stayed in fourth spot, which is one of the Champions League qualifying slots, and opened a two-point cushion over fifth-placed Lazio.
AC Milan forward Gonzalo Higuain continued his poor run as he wasted two shots in the first half, while Bologna forward Rodrigo Palacio forced a good save from Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Milan were reduced to 10 men when Bakayoko, on loan from Chelsea, was booked in the 73rd minute and once again in the 76th for pushing over Federico Santander.
Bologna, who are 18th with 12 points, created some promising openings towards the end, with substitute Mattia Destro wasting the best of them by heading straight at Donnarumma.
Gattuso and Inzaghi were team mates for more than 10 years at Milan but Tuesday was the first time they met as coaches.
