La Liga round-up: Real Madrid beaten 4-1 by Valencia – Newstrends
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La Liga round-up: Real Madrid beaten 4-1 by Valencia

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  • Carlos Soler scores hat-trick of penalties

Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid side suffer defeat in the absence of coronavirus-infected Eden Hazard and Casemiro; Real Sociedad beat a nearly unrecognisable Granada side 2-0

Karim Benzema put Madrid ahead with a scorching strike from outside the area only for Valencia to pull level eventually with the first of Soler’s three penalties after a most unusual turn of events.

Soler saw his spot-kick saved by Thibaut Courtois and then hit the post on the rebound, while team-mate Yunus Musah netted the loose ball, only to see the goal ruled out after a VAR review showed him encroaching in the area.

A re-take was ordered and Soler made no mistake at the second attempt.

Valencia took the lead before half-time through a freak own goal from Raphael Varane, who unwittingly sent the ball flying over his head and just over the line, the goal being awarded several minutes later following another VAR review.

Valencia’s teenage forward Lee Kang-in almost struck a third early in the second period but Courtois turned his shot onto the post.

The home side kept up the momentum though and won two further penalties, for a foul by Marcelo on Maxi Gomez then a handball by Sergio Ramos.

Soler converted each time, becoming only the third player in the history of La Liga to score three penalties in a single match.

Five in a row for Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad's players beat virus-depleted Granada

Real Sociedad’s players beat virus-depleted Granada

Earlier, Real Sociedad beat a nearly unrecognisable Granada side 2-0 to return to the top of La Liga.

The visitors’ attempt to get the game postponed due to a spate of coronavirus cases was turned down by authorities, meaning they were forced to make nine changes from last week’s 1-1 draw with Levante and started with five players aged 20 or under.

Granada’s makeshift side made a bright start but Sociedad took the lead midway through the first half through left-back Nacho Monreal, before a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty five minutes later doubled their advantage.

Brazilian forward Willian Jose had a spot-kick saved by Granada’s 18-year-old ‘keeper Angel Jimenez in the second half and Sociedad ended the game with 10 men as defender Robin Le Normand was shown a straight red card in the 86th minute.

Granada earned a penalty in added time but Darwin Machis was denied by an excellent save from Alex Remiro and the Basques celebrated a fifth consecutive La Liga victory.

Other La Liga results:

Getafe 1-3 Villarreal

Levante 1-1 Alaves

Valladolid 2-1 Athletic Bilbao

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Diallo late hat-trick inspires Man United comeback win over Southampton

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Diallo late hat-trick inspires Man United comeback win over Southampton

Amad Diallo scored a stunning late hat-trick as Manchester United turned what seemed certain to be a humiliating defeat into a thrilling victory over Southampton at Old Trafford.

United appeared to be heading for a fourth consecutive top-flight home defeat for the first time since 1930 as they laboured badly trying to overcome a Southampton side who had won just once all season and suffered a 5-0 home loss to Brentford on their last league outing.

But Diallo, a week after signing a new five-and-a-half year contract, had other ideas.

The Ivorian, moved into an attacking role from the wing-back position he started the contest in, took the game by the scruff of the neck, levelling nine minutes from time. He surged into the box, profited from a fortunate break of the ball and drove the rebound past Aaron Ramsdale.

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A minute into injury-time, Diallo kept running onto Christian Eriksen’s chipped return pass before beating Ramsdale with a first-time effort.

And he capitalised when Taylor Harwood-Bellis failed to control Ramsdale’s pass, nipping the ball away from the former Manchester City defender and passing the ball into an empty net to complete his first senior hat-trick.

It was awful luck on Southampton, who deserved so much more for their efforts but all they had to show was a Manuel Ugarte own goal from a corner.

United, for long periods, showed head coach Ruben Amorim was right to express his concerns about his side’s effectiveness against lesser opposition after encouraging performances against Liverpool and Arsenal.

But Diallo, who has responded better to Amorim’s arrival than anyone else at Old Trafford, was not to be denied and walked away with the match ball in celebration as the home fans cheered him down the tunnel.

Diallo late hat-trick inspires Man United comeback win over Southampton

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Kane scores again as Bayern thrash Hoffenheim to go top

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Harry Kane

Kane scores again as Bayern thrash Hoffenheim to go top

Harry Kane scored one and assisted another as Bayern Munich thrashed Hoffenheim to restore their four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table.

The Bavarians were awarded a 26th-minute penalty after a Kane header was blocked by the arm of a defender and the England captain buried his spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way.

Kane, 31, had earlier assisted defender Raphael Guerreiro with a one-two to set up the Bavarians’s second.

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Bundesliga top scorer Kane has now scored 16 goals and created eight assists in 15 appearances in the division so far this season.

With the game won, he was substituted midway through the second half.

The Bavarians opened the scoring in the sixth minute through Leroy Sane, and the former Manchester City forward added his side’s fourth just after half-time.

Serge Gnabry completed Bayern’s scoring by adding a fifth in the 66th minute.

 

Kane scores again as Bayern thrash Hoffenheim to go top

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Police probe abuse of Havertz’s wife after Arsenal star’s woes

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Kai Havertz

Police probe abuse of Havertz’s wife after Arsenal star’s woes

Police have launched an investigation into social media abuse aimed at Arsenal forward Kai Havertz’s wife after his latest poor performance.

Havertz missed a penalty in Arsenal’s shootout defeat against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

Following Arsenal’s second successive loss, the Germany international’s wife, Sophia, reposted two abusive messages she had received on Instagram.

A police spokesman told Britain’s Press Association: “Officers have received a report of malicious communications towards a Hertfordshire resident on Sunday 12 January. Enquiries are under way.”

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Speaking on Tuesday, on the eve of Arsenal’s Premier League match against Tottenham, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta flagged the “terrible consequences” of online abuse.

“It’s something that we really have to eradicate from the game, because it’s so cynical as well,” he said.

Havertz has scored 12 goals in 27 matches for Arsenal this season.

But his woeful finishing in the United game and the preceeding 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg has reopened criticism of the German.

Havertz, who scored the Champions League final winner for Chelsea in 2021, has endured an erratic spell with Arsenal since moving across London in 2023.

But Arteta said there is no excuse for the abuse, saying: “We can accept it and say ‘that’s our job’, but there are certain limits and the line has to be drawn. It cannot happen. That’s it.”

Police probe abuse of Havertz’s wife after Arsenal star’s woes

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