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Rediff.com  » Sports » Topsy Turvy day for champion clubs! Find out here...

Topsy Turvy day for champion clubs! Find out here...

September 24, 2015 11:15 IST
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Celta stun Barcelona 4-1

Neymar Santos Jr of FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona's Neymar Santos Jr heads the ball next to Gustavo Cabral, left, during their La Liga match against Celta Vigo. Photograph: Alex Caparros/Getty Images

A Karim Benzema brace gave Real Madrid a 2-1 victory at Athletic Bilbao and lifted them to the top of La Liga on goal difference ahead of Celta Vigo, who thrashed Barcelona 4-1 on Wednesday with Iago Aspas hitting a double.

It was clear that it was not going to be Barca’s day when Lionel Messi struck the woodwork after 52 minutes with only keeper Sergio Alvarez to beat and then Aspas raced clear and slotted home on 55 minutes.

Barcelona's Neymar scored from a tight angle after 80 minutes but Celta substitute John Guidetti volleyed in their fourth minutes later.

The players in the blue of Celta could have been mistaken for Barca the way they pressed the visitors back with their quick movement and link-up play.

Ter Stegen could only get his fingertips to Nolito’s strike into the top corner and then Gerard Pique hesitated in possession on the halfway line with the ball finding its way to Aspas who ran through and lifted the ball over the keeper.

After the break Barca pressed forward but left themselves wide open at the back. Messi hit the woodwork and then shortly after Aspas latched onto a long punt forward, evaded a challenge from Dani Alves, and found the corner with his shot.

Messi set up Neymar for a consolation while Guidetti was then given space in the area and cracked the ball home.

Real's Benzema hits double to sink Bilbao

Karim Benzema

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema celebrates. Photograph: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

The Frenchman took full advantage of a poor backpass by Mikel San Jose and fired home to put Real ahead after 19 minutes.

Bilbao showed typical fighting spirit and a fine diving header from Sabin Merino ended Real keeper Keylor Navas’ record unbeaten start to the season after 67 minutes, but they were only level for three minutes.

Benzema, a threat all night to the Athletic rearguard, was quickest to an Isco cross and knocked it in from close range.

Real and Celta now have 13 points after five games while Barca are a point behind.

After disappointing spells at Liverpool and Sevilla, Aspas is back to his best this season having returned to Celta and struck clinical finishes in either half against a Barca side who were far from their normal dominant selves.

Nolito, a former Barca youth player, fired his fifth goal in as many games to put Celta ahead after 25 minutes with a pinpoint curling drive from the left of the area.

Aspas then chipped the ball over keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen for the second minutes later.

Frosinone stun Juve to pick up first-ever Serie A point

Leonardo Blanchard, right, of Frosinone Calcio celebrates

Leonardo Blanchard, right, of Frosinone Calcio celebrates. Photograph: Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Serie A debutants Frosinone picked up their first-ever top flight point with a shock 1-1 draw at titleholders Juventus on Wednesday while leaders Inter Milan made it five wins out of five.

Juve, who have made a stuttering start to their attempt to win a fifth successive league title, went ahead five minutes into the second half when Simone Zaza scored with a shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area.

Frosinone, whose own stadium holds only 10,000 people, appeared to be heading for their fifth straight defeat until Leonardo Blanchard headed in from a corner in stoppage time after he was left unmarked by the Juve defence.

Juve were left joint 12th alongside Atalanta with five points.

Felipe Melo's powerful header gave Inter a 1-0 win over Verona and left Roberto Mancini's Inter as the only team with 15 points from five games, all of them by one-goal margins.

Dortmund's winning run snapped by Hoffenheim draw

Hoffenheim's Sebastian Rudy

Hoffenheim's Sebastian Rudy, right, celebrates with his teammates. Photograph: Ralph Orlowski/Reuters

Borussia Dortmund's perfect start to the Bundesliga season was snapped by Hoffenheim following a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, ending a run of five successive wins for the RuhrValley club who dropped two points off leaders Bayern Munich.

Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang snatched a 55th-minute equaliser to become the first Bundesliga player ever to score in each of the opening six matches of a season, after the hosts had gone ahead with Sebastian Rudy before the break.

But it was not enough for Dortmund, who have 16 points. Before Wednesday, they had won all 11 matches in all competitions this season to register the club's best start.

"I would not call it a reality check but we did miss a few percentages tonight," Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel told reporters. "But we should be careful not to feel as if we've lost because in three days we will start a new winning run."

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