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Jordi Alba felt Barcelona produced their best performance of 2020 in their 2-1 Liga victory over Real Sociedad.

The Catalans fell behind to a Willian Jose goal at Camp Nou on Tuesday after dominating the opening 25 minutes without managing a shot on target.

However, they responded well, Alba blasting home a fine equaliser before setting up Frenkie de Jong to make it 2-1 before half-time.

Real Sociedad improved after the break, restricting Barca to just 38.6 per cent possession after the hosts had enjoyed two-thirds of the ball in the first half, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen's only save of note came late on when he blocked an effort from Alexander Isak.

Barca, who have beaten Sociedad 23 times in a row in home league games, are now six points off the top of the table thanks to their first back-to-back league victories since October 1.

Alba felt the first half was Barca's strongest showing in 2020, even if he modestly suggested there was an element of luck to his emphatic equaliser.

"It was the best game of the year," he told Movistar. "I'm really pleased with the team's attitude and fight. The motivation was big and we keep climbing [the table].

"They changed their way of playing. We knew it would be a difficult game against one of the best teams in La Liga.

"I get more joy from giving assists. You score one in a hundred from those types of shots. I was lucky.

"We scored soon after they got their goal and the team played a great game. We saw a great Barca, who fought for every ball."

Barca's lead was under threat when Isak raced through on goal only for Pedri to make a crucial challenge, the teenager then colliding heavily with the post for his troubles.

It was a moment that summed up Barca's robustness under pressure in the second half as they inflicted just a second league defeat of the season on Imanol's side.

"We knew it was an important game and we went out to give everything," he said. "We were missing a bit of assuredness in front of goal before and we have it now."

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has hit back at Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, who claimed his side deserved to win after they lost 2-1 to the Reds on Wednesday.

The defending champions earned all three points through Roberto Firmino's 90th-minute header, after Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the first half and Son Heung-Min equalised for Spurs minutes later. 

Despite having just 24 per cent possession and two shots on target compared to Liverpool's 11, Mourinho still felt Spurs deserved to win. 

Speaking to Amazon about a post-match meeting with his counterpart Jurgen Klopp, Mourinho said: "I told him the best team lost and he disagreed, but that's his opinion."

Alexander-Arnold was clearly alerted to Mourinho's comments and he quickly responded on Twitter with a post that simply said: "Best team won."

Klopp also responded to Mourinho's claim after the game, saying he thought the Spurs boss wasn't being serious.

"It was not heated at all," Klopp told BBC Radio 5 Live of the exchange. "He wasn't happy because he told me the better team lost – and I thought he was joking! But he wasn't. So that's it."

Klopp was told that Liverpool had 200 passes in the final third compared to 19 for Tottenham, and had a subtle dig at his opponents in response to the stat. 

"If you ask me now, I can't remember the 19," Klopp added. "That's how it is. It's fine. Different approaches, different ways to play."

Klopp did have plenty of praise for Spurs, who dropped to second place after the loss, three points behind Liverpool in first place.

"It's the respect the boys deserve, or earned, that you think, 'OK, sit deep against them like this.'" Klopp said of Tottenham's strategy. "We have to deal with that. Of course they had chances, they are a world-class team, they are outstanding.

"They will be top of the table until the end of the season because they are really good, but to play against them is a proper challenge and to play like us, is pretty special."

Liverpool are now three points clear at the top of the Premier League table, with 28 to Tottenham's 25.

Son Heung-min's Tottenham equaliser should not have stood despite a VAR review ruling it was a good goal, according to Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp.

Despite controversy surrounding the Spurs goal which cancelled out Mohamed Salah's opener, the Reds secured all three points with a 2-1 victory via a late Roberto Firmino header to move three points clear of their opponent at the top of the Premier League.

Son looked to be offside to the naked eye just before he received the ball and strode through to finish clinically past Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.

However, a VAR check deemed the South Korean international was marginally onside to get Spurs back into the match only seven minutes after Salah had given Liverpool the lead at Anfield.

Despite the referees ruling the goal would stand, Klopp insisted that Son was offside and the goal should have been ruled out.

"For me, it is offside [the Spurs goal]," Klopp said post match. "They watch it 20 times, but when I saw it, it is offside.

"There is nobody to blame, the best way to defend Tottenham is to keep the ball all the time."

Liverpool dominated the 90 minutes with 76 per cent of the possession, and had 17 shots on goal to Tottenham's eight.

Klopp was delighted to contain Spurs' threat on the break by maintaining the ball and hailed Firmino's match-winning contribution in the 90th minute, with the Brazilian often maligned for his lack of goals.

"A good game against a counterattacking monster, the possession we had we did incredibly well," Klopp said.

"Yes they have scored a goal, had two chances, apart from that we controlled the game and it is a massively deserved three points and I am happy.

"I am so happy we scored that goal because it felt like 70% of the ball against a top side. Bobby, what a header, I am over the moon for him. What a game he played, those movements, he opens up all the other gaps."

Liverpool will look to consolidate their lead at the top of the Premier League table with matches against Crystal Palace (away), West Brom (home) and Newcastle (away) over the Christmas-New Year period.

Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho has suggested he is treated differently than other Premier League managers, claiming he would be sent off if he behaved the same way as Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. 

Mourinho's side fell 2-1 to the Reds in dramatic fashion on Wednesday, as Roberto Firmino's 90th-minute header settled the top-of-the-table clash at Anfield. 

Tottenham had just 24 per cent possession and two shots on target compared to Liverpool's 11, but they could have easily escaped with a point or even all three had Steven Bergwijn or Harry Kane have put away good chances in the second half. 

At the conclusion of the match, Mourinho and Klopp exchanged words on the touchline. When asked by Amazon what was said, Mourinho said he told Klopp that Spurs deserved to win the match and that there is a double standard when it comes to coaching behaviour.

"I told him the best team lost and he disagreed, but that's his opinion," Mourinho said of Klopp. "If I behave the same way he does on the touchline, I do not stay there. That's animated? For some reason I am different."

Speaking to the BBC, Mourinho added that he felt Klopp and the Liverpool bench were putting undue pressure on the officials to show Giovani Lo Celso a second yellow, forcing him to remove the Argentine after 58 minutes.

"The game was always under control. I feel it was a very undeserved result, but that's football," Mourinho added. "At half-time we move a little bit the pieces, but overall the game was always under control and I am very pleased with the performance.

"The changes were to find counterattack situations which we did immediately, but with Gio's yellow card and the incredible pressure these guys on the touchline put on the officials, I was afraid of the yellow card and I had to take him off. I am not the one to speak to my colleagues about their behaviour on the touchline."

Spurs dropped to second place with the defeat to the defending champions, who went three points clear at the top of the table. Still, Mourinho felt his opponents on the night didn't demonstrate their title credentials. 

"Very good performance, of course some mistakes, some things to improve, a very unfair result. My team told me I am right when I say from the beginning of the season we go to every match to win. We played against the champions in their stadium and we had the best chances to win," Mourinho added to Amazon.

"The team was brilliant. Today Liverpool didn't look a team that is champion, European champion, world champion - that difference was not on the pitch."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called on his players to show their title credentials over a busy run of games during the Christmas period.

Manchester United travel to Bramall Lane on Thursday evening to kickstart a hectic fortnight which sees them play six games in 15 days.

Five of those are Premier League clashes and with United sitting eight points off the top with two games in hand, Solskjaer believes it will be a period that determines his side’s ability to win the top domestic prize.

“This is a big run of games for us. After the Villa game on New Year's Day, we have a little bit of a break in the league. This period is going to be vital and it'll be easier for me to answer around that time,” Solskjaer said.

“I'd be disappointed if the players didn't think we can put a challenge up. At the moment, anything goes in the league. There are different reasons for different results. I feel we're getting better but we have to improve quite a bit to take that next step as well.”

With no pre-season and coming into the campaign straight off the back of a postponed 2019-20 campaign, it has been an interesting start to the season with all teams dropping points that many would not expect.

The unpredictably of this campaign could give United their best chance of mounting a real title charge for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

“Whoever finds the consistency and the energy will have a better chance than in the last few seasons, because there's been a few runaway teams,” Solskjaer said.

“For us, the quicker we can get the game in hand against Burnley played the better so that the league table looks as it should be. Then again, I'm as boring as you alluded to there, you have to take one game at a time.

“Even though we've got six games in less than 16 days, we've still got to look at one, then one and then one because if you take your eye off the ball you'll quickly lose points in games where you expect to take more.”

Andrea Pirlo admitted Alvaro Morata's glaring miss in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Atalanta made him "very angry" but the Juventus boss praised the forward for an otherwise "great game".

Juve were denied a fifth consecutive win in all competitions when Remo Freuler cancelled out Federico Chiesa's opener at the Allianz Stadium.

Cristiano Ronaldo squandered a golden opportunity to seal all three points for the champions, though, missing from the spot after Chiesa had been tripped in the area – his fourth failure from 30 penalties in all competitions for Juve. 

While Pirlo was relaxed about the Portuguese superstar's miss, he could not hide his frustration at Morata's indiscretion early in the first half. 

The Spain international, who has scored nine goals in all competitions this season, inexplicably scuffed a backheeled effort wide with the goal at his mercy after initially playing a poor pass to Ronaldo when he had been clean through.

On Ronaldo's miss, he told a media conference: "It's a pity because it would have helped us to go ahead, but these things can happen.

"Morata's miss made me very angry, it's something we cannot afford. These opportunities can channel the game in a certain way. One must have the lucidity to make the right choice and he didn't. Aside from that he played a great game. It happens that goals are not scored sometimes."

Juve came up against a goalkeeper in inspired form, Pierluigi Gollini saving Ronaldo's spot-kick and making excellent stops to deny Morata and Weston McKennie.

The result means they have drawn six of their first 12 league games of the season for the first time since 1984-85, when they finished in sixth.

Pirlo was pleased with his side's attitude, but said they need to show more conviction if they are to start turning draws into wins.

"We played an excellent match against a strong team, with great pace," he added.

"However, we would have won if we had shown more conviction. We created a lot, but we have not been able to close it out and when we leave the game in the balance, anything can happen - but we took the field with the right attitude. It was an important game in terms of intensity. Atalanta is difficult to face and we did it well."

The Bianconeri will hope to return to winning ways when they visit Parma on Saturday.

Robert Lewandowski scored his 250th Bundesliga goal in Bayern Munich's 2-1 win against Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Bayern striker Lewandowski reached the landmark with a header on the stroke of half-time to cancel out Maximilian Philipp's early opener. He then struck early in the second half to earn the Bundesliga champions three points.

The 32-year-old is only the third player in Bundesliga history to reach the landmark after Gerd Muller (365) and Klaus Fischer (268), but he is the first non-German to achieve the feat.

Lewandowski required 332 games to hit the total, making him quicker than Fischer (460) but not as rapid as Bayern great Muller (284).

The Poland international scored his first 74 Bundesliga goals across 131 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, with his 176 for Bayern taking just 201 matches.

Lewandowski appears to prefer the comforts of home, with 150 of his efforts coming on his own patch compared to 100 in away games.

It is not often Lewandowski finds himself on the bench, but in the 37 appearances he has made as a substitute, he has scored 16 goals.

Of his 250 goals, 43 were left-footed, 164 right-footed and 41 headed, with two more scored with other parts of his body. There were 16 scored from outside the box and 234 inside, including 29 penalties.

Lewandowski's landmark effort was his 22nd in 20 Bundesliga games versus Wolfsburg, the most he has netted against any one opponent.

The centre forward started his senior career in his native Poland with Znicz Pruszkow in 2006 before progressing to Lech Pozman two years later.

Lewandowski was snapped up by Borussia Dortmund in 2010 and immediately helping the club to wn back-to-back Bundesliga titles in his debut campaign and the following season.

He also spearheaded the Black and Yellows to the 2011-12 DFB Pokal Cup and to the 2012-13 Champions League final - which they lost 2-1 to Bayern.

After helping Dortmund to compete against Bayern for four seasons, Lewandowski made the move to Germany's biggest club in 2014, where he has remained for the past seven seasons.

He has won the Bundesliga in every season he has played for Bayern, and finally lifted the Champions League last campaign when the Bavarians defeated PSG.

Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended his Premier League goal drought at Emirates Stadium with his equaliser in their 1-1 draw against Southampton on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old striker ended a run of 648 minutes without a league goal at home, by completing a fine team move to cancel out Theo Walcott's opener in the 52nd minute.

Aubameyang’s last league goal at Emirates Stadium was in July against Watford where he scored a brace in their final fixture for the 2019-20 Premier League season.

Wednesday's strike was the Gabonese’s third goal of the season after 13 league appearances and his first goal from open play since their league opener against Fulham on September 12.

Although the result stretched the Gunners' unbeaten streak to six matches, Arteta remains positive on Aubameyang's goalscoring form.

“Hopefully it's going to change everything dramatically and he's going to start to score every game because this is what we need at the moment,” Arteta said after the match.

Aubameyang, meanwhile, dismissed the attention on him as Arsenal continue their struggle in the Premier League.

They remain 15th in the league table with 14 points from 13 matches while enduring their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1974-75 season.

He said; "At the moment, I'm a guy when things are going wrong I just work a lot, I try to do my job, to give everything, and I give my advice inside [the club], and it's true I've not spoken a lot in the last few weeks, but I'm here and I want to talk on the pitch, that's it.

"I think tonight is not about my goal and me, it's about the team. As I say, we need points, it doesn't matter if I score, the most important thing is to get points."

Arsenal will be targeting their first Premier League win since November 1 (1-0 win over Manchester United) when they visit Everton at the Goodison Park on Saturday.

Chuba Akpom scored the only goal in Middlesbrough’s 1-0 victory over Luton Town while Sam Morsy was sent off in Wednesday’s Championship game.

The Nigerian forward has continued to turn heads since his arrival at Riverside Stadium in the summer from Greek Super League club PAOK Salonika.

The 25-year-old was afforded his 11th start of the season and made the most of the opportunity, helping his side to clinch their second consecutive victory.

Egypt international Morsy could not complete his 13thh game of the season for the Boro after he was punished for his indiscipline.

The former Wigan Athletic captain teamed up with Middlesbrough in the summer after ending his four-year stay with the club.

 The game started with both sides aiming to outwit each other but missed several scoring chances in the first half to keep the scoreline remain at 0-0.

After the restart, Akpom then broke the deadlock with a fine effort in the 52nd minute after receiving a sumptuous assist from Marvin Johnson.

The Boro were then reduced to 10 men after Morsy was shown a straight red card for deliberately handling the ball in the penalty area.

Luton Town were awarded a penalty kick by referee Andy Davies but James Collins failed to covert his effort.

Akpom’s goal was, however, enough to ensure Neil Warnock’s men secured their eighth win of the season at Riverside Stadium.

The Nigerian forward featured for 77 minutes before he was replaced by the Democratic Republic of the Congo international Britt Assombalonga.

Akpom has now made 15 appearances for Middlesbrough this season, scoring two goals amid other dazzling displays.

The victory moved the Boro to the seventh spot on the Championship table after gathering 30 points from 19 games.

The attacker will be expected to continue his impressive performances when Middlesbrough take on Birmingham City in their next league game on December 19.

Roberto Firmino scored a late header to put Liverpool top of the Premier League table as Tottenham were beaten 2-1 at Anfield.

Son Heung-min's contentious first-half equaliser looked to have kept Spurs at the summit on goal difference after Mohamed Salah's 14th goal of the season put the champions in front.

Firmino rose to head home Andy Robertson's corner in the 90th minute to dramatically win it, though, and put the Reds three points clear of Jose Mourinho's side.

Spurs felt Firmino's goal should have been ruled out for a foul by Jordan Henderson on Eric Dier when Robertson's delivery came in, but Spurs' 11-match unbeaten run in the top flight came to a halt.

Both teams struck the woodwork through Steven Bergwijn and Sadio Mane in the second half before Firmino won it.

Liverpool started with great intensity after an emotional minute's applause for late former boss Gerard Houllier and an unmarked Firmino's downward header was saved by Hugo Lloris.

Salah shot straight at Lloris after the ball struck Dier on the arm in the penalty area but no spot-kick was awarded before the Egypt forward opened the scoring with a shot that deflected in off Toby Alderweireld after 26 minutes.

The Reds were dominant but Spurs levelled against the run of play seven minutes later, Son taking Giovani Lo Celso's pass and finishing clinically, then breathing a sigh of relief after the goal was awarded following a VAR check.

Bergwijn missed a great chance to put Spurs in front just after the break, shooting wide of the far post following a lapse from teenage defender Rhys Williams - making his Premier League debut.

Alisson spared his own blushes when he tipped away Harry Kane's attempted lob after the Spurs captain intercepted his sloppy pass in a bright start to the second half from the London club.

Bergwijn's measured shot struck the post after Son nodded on to put the Netherlands international clear and Kane headed over the crossbar when he ought to have scored from close range.

Liverpool almost responded when Mane turned sharply and saw his deflected left-foot strike hit the top of the bar, but Firmino secured all three points with a bullet header and Spurs’ protests were waved away as they lost top spot.

What does it mean? Spurs pay the price at fortress Anfield

Liverpool have now won seven out of seven in the Premier League at Anfield, where they are unbeaten in 66 top-flight matches.

Despite being without a host of key players, the Reds are looking ominous and were much more like the team that stormed to the title last season after not being at their best in a draw at Fulham last weekend.

Spurs felt aggrieved by Firmino's winner, but if they had taken at least one of the great chances they created in the second half their long unbeaten run in the Premier League would not have come to an end.

Jones masterful in midfield

Teenage midfielder Curtis Jones was outstanding for the Reds in the middle of the park.

The 19-year-old was intelligent with his movement off the ball, drifting into space and brimming with confidence on the ball, finding his man with all but seven of his 113 passes.

He made a game-high 87 of those passes in the Spurs half, also having three shots and winning 80 per cent of his aerial duals.

What might have been for wasteful Bergwijn

Bergwijn came agonisingly close to putting Tottenham in front when he hit the outside of the post and also missed a glorious opportunity right at the start of the second half

It was not the Netherlands international's night, as he did not provide a single key pass and also and his only cross did not find the intended target.

Key Opta Stats:

- Tottenham have won just one of their last 27 Premier League away games against Liverpool (D8 L18), last winning there in May 2011 under Harry Redknapp.
- Only versus Chelsea (102) have Spurs conceded more Premier League goals than they have against Liverpool (97).
- Mourinho has never won away against Klopp in six attempts in all competitions (D2 L4), with Klopp being the manager he has faced the most away from home without ever tasting victory.
- Son has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season, equalling his goal tally from the entire 2019-20 campaign (11 in 30).
- Salah now has eight goals against Tottenham in all competitions - against no other side has he scored more in his club career in European football (level with Bournemouth and Watford).

What's next?

The champions will have a spring in their step when they head to the capital to face Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Spurs are home to Leicester City the following day.

Kylian Mbappe and Moise Kean were on target for Paris Saint-Germain as they profited from Andreaw Gravillon's costly red card to beat Lorient 2-0 in Wednesday's Ligue 1 clash.

PSG entered the game four points adrift of Lille following the league leaders' earlier 2-0 win at Dijon and took time to get going, even if Ander Herrera did come closest to a first-half breakthrough when striking the crossbar.

However, Gravillon was dismissed for bringing down Mbappe early in the second half at the Parc des Princes and the PSG forward brushed himself down to convert the subsequent penalty.

Kean fired in a second goal nine minutes later and PSG were under little threat from that point on as they climbed to second, ahead of Lyon, going into Sunday's huge top-of-the-table showdown with Lille.

Yoane Wissa got in behind Danilo Pereira early on but the makeshift PSG defender blocked the shot - sustaining an injury in the process that forced him off - and Sergio Rico had a simple save to make.

Lorient put three goals past Nimes last weekend to end a four-game goalless losing run and they wasted another good chance to open the scoring in Paris, Terem Moffi racing clear but pulling his shot wide of the far post.

PSG hit the crossbar late in the first half through Herrera's curler, though they only had to wait until six minutes into the second period to open the scoring thanks to Mbappe's 11th league goal of the campaign.

Mbappe burst past Gravillon and was brought down by the visiting defender, who was issued a straight red card and further punished by his opponent drilling the penalty underneath Paul Nardi.

A big chance went begging for Mbappe almost instantly but PSG again carved their opponents open with an hour played, a fine team move culminating in Rafinha releasing Kean to convert past the onrushing Nardi.

Layvin Kurzawa joined Herrera in hitting the crossbar at the end of a counter 10 minutes from time but it mattered little as Lorient could not muster a response, Adrian Grbic coming closest to beating Rico when hitting the post late on.
 

What does it mean? PSG back on track

Following Sunday's surprise 1-0 loss to Lyon, this was the first time PSG had entered a game outside of the top two this far into a season since matchday 23 in 2016-17 when also third.

Thomas Tuchel's men quite simply could not afford to drop more points and, while not always at their best, did what was required to pick up a 10th straight league win over Lorient.

Lille may remain a point better off but this was a positive day on the whole for the reigning champions as fellow title contenders Marseille and Montpellier lost, while Lyon were held 2-2 at home to Brest.

Rafinha pulls the strings

With Marco Verratti named among the subs, Rafinha was selected in a midfield three alongside Herrera and Idrissa Gueye.

The former Barcelona man played a great ball to Mbappe in the build-up to the penalty and slotted in Kean for the second. He played four key passes in all, a joint-high alongside Herrera.

Gravillon error costly

Lorient more than held their own in the first half and would have fancied their chances of becoming the latest side to take points off PSG.

Gravillon effectively put paid to those hopes when bringing down Mbappe for the penalty, which proved the turning point. The centre-back may only have been on the field for 51 minutes, yet no visiting player conceded more fouls than his two, level with Jerome Hergault.

What's next?

PSG travel to Lille on Sunday in a huge clash at the top of Ligue 1, while Lorient host Rennes on the same day.

Barcelona recovered from 1-0 down to defeat Real Sociedad 2-1 on Wednesday and close to within six points of the LaLiga summit.

Willian Jose put the visitors in front at Camp Nou against the run of play to give them hope of ending an eight-match run without a league win over the Catalans.

A fine strike from Jordi Alba restored parity before Frenkie De Jong prodded in what proved to be the winner before half-time as Barca secured a result that will go some way towards easing pressure on head coach Ronald Koeman.

The loss was only Sociedad's second in the league this season and ensured they missed out on leapfrogging Atletico Madrid at the top of the table.

Barca were in control of the opening 25 minutes but failed to test Alex Remiro in the visiting goal from any of their first six shots.

They found themselves behind when Sociedad scored with their first effort on target of the match, Willian Jose converting Portu's cut-back following a corner.

Barca levelled in fine style just four minutes later, Alba pouncing on a loose ball and firing high past Remiro with his right foot.

Antoine Griezmann danced his way past the defence and the goalkeeper only to see the ball cannon back off the bar, and Martin Braithwaite fired over from Pedri's pass.

The pressure told before the break, Alba's low cross deflecting kindly for De Jong to finish, with VAR overturning the offside decision.

La Real started the second half much stronger but were lucky not to fall 3-1 down, Griezmann somehow turning the ball away from goal after sliding in to meet Alba's cross.

Alexander Isak had a great chance to level when bearing down on goal but the covering Pedri made a crucial tackle before colliding with the goal post for good measure, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen did brilliantly to deny the striker after palming a shot into his path late on.

What does it mean? Barca breathe life into title hopes

Barca have now equalled their longest winning run at home to Sociedad in LaLiga, this being their 23rd consecutive victory at Camp Nou.

The result also lifts them to within six points of leaders Atletico, La Real and Real Madrid, as this title race continues to look an enthralling one.

Koeman will likely be most pleased with the manner of his side's victory, though, given this was one of their best performances of the season.

Alba outstanding

This was a throwback to Jordi Alba at his best, the left-back scoring a brilliant goal, setting up De Jong for his and giving Griezmann what looked to be the easiest of finishes.

Only Messi (86 and 59) had more touches and completed passes than Alba (85 and 52), who created three opportunities from crosses and regained possession eight times.

Best-braid plans go to waste for Griezmann

Griezmann had some good moments in attack and was valuable covering at the back for Barca, clearing one promising free-kick from danger.

Fortune deserted him in front of goal, though. He hit the bar after a fine run and then implausibly failed to score with the goal gaping, his new hairdo apparently not bringing him any better luck.

Key Opta Facts

- Barcelona have won their last four home LaLiga games, their best run under Ronald Koeman, after winning only two of their previous six at Camp Nou in the competition (D2 L2).
- Messi has claimed his 300th victory at Camp Nou in all competitions: 211 in LaLiga, 53 in Champions League, 30 in Copa del Rey and 6 in UEFA Super Cup.
- Barca are the first team to have scored twice in the same game against Real Sociedad this season in LaLiga.
- De Jong has been involved in two goals in his last two LaLiga appearances (1 goal and 1 assist), the same as in his previous 35 matches in the competition (1 goal and 1 assist).

What's next?

Barca host Valencia on Saturday, with Sociedad heading to Levante.

Pierre Kalulu's late effort saw Milan rescue a 2-2 draw for the second Serie A match running as Mattia Destro's double ultimately proved in vain for lowly Genoa.

The hosts, the last side to defeat the Rossoneri in Italy's top flight back in March, led twice as ex-Milan loanee Destro scored either side of Davide Calabria's excellent equaliser at the Luigi Ferraris.

But Kalulu tapped in from Alessio Romagnoli's downward header seven minutes from time to complete a breathless second half completely at odds with an insipid opening 45.

Leaders Milan fought back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 at Parma last time out and are now 24 unbeaten in the league but only a point ahead of city rivals Inter. Genoa remain in the bottom three.

Samu Castillejo curled wide of the far post and Hakan Calhanoglu's low free-kick tested Mattia Perin in an otherwise lacklustre opening.

Destro dragged just past the left upright after 37 minutes, prior to Ante Rebic showing a great piece of skill to beat Paolo Ghiglione only to shoot straight at Perin.

Kalulu put a point-blank header over from the resulting corner and Milan were punished two minutes after the break.

Gianluigi Donnarumma made a superb stop from Eldor Shomurodov's shot on the turn but Destro reacted quickest to tap in the rebound.

The lead last only five minutes as Calabria executed a superb daisy-cutter across goal from 25 yards to find the bottom-left corner.

Destro again proved Milan's scourge on the hour, though, when his downward header from Ghiglione's right-wing centre bounced off the ground and into the left side of the goal.

Substitute Jens Petter Hauge narrowly failed to pick out the bottom corner but shortly after Kalulu pounced on Romagnoli's knockdown to level proceedings again.

There was still time for Donnarumma to expertly parry away Gianluca Scamacca's audacious acrobatic effort as Stefano Pioli's table-toppers fought to another point.

What does it mean? Milan need Ibra boost

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not featured for Milan since injuring his hamstring in the 3-1 win over Napoli on November 22. A couple of 2-2 draws have seen the Rossoneri's title tilt stall and Pioli will want his veteran Swedish striker, who returned to training this week, back in the fold as soon as possible.

Mattia the Best-ro for unlucky Genoa

The disappointing thing for Milan is Genoa had lost their past five home league matches – a club worst run. Destro, who had an unsuccessful temporary spell with Milan in 2015, scored with both his efforts on target, Genoa had four on target in total.

Kalulu keeps his cool… eventually

Kalulu will feel he may have scored on the stroke half-time but he stepped up when it mattered. The centre-back also made a tackle, had a game-high five interceptions and regained possession seven times for his team.

Key Opta Facts: Destro's first double for three years

- Milan have scored at least two goals in 14 consecutive games: a record in Serie A history, overtaking Torino 1948 (13).
- The Rossoneri are unbeaten in their last 24 league games: their longest run since 1993.
- Since the last May, among the teams in the top-five European leagues with at least 20 games during the period, only Milan (24) and Bayern Munich (21) have always scored.
- Destro scored twice in a Serie A game for the first time since December 2017, with Bologna.

What's next?

Milan will not have an easy task as they look to get back to winning ways when they visit high-flying Sassuolo on Sunday, the same day Genoa go to fellow strugglers Benevento.

Christopher Antwi-Adjei received the first red card of his career in Paderborn's 2-2 draw against Eintracht Braunschweiger in a 2. Bundesliga fixture.

The Ghana international was sent off in the 74th minute after receiving two yellow cards in Wednesday's encounter.

Goals from Dennis Srbeny and Chris Fuhrich in the opening 20 minutes were not enough to secure maximum points for Paderborn but it ended their run of three straight losses in the German second division.

Antwi-Adjei has played 10 league games for Steffen Baumgart's side this campaign following their relegation from the Bundesliga last season.

He will be expected to serve a one-game ban as punishment for his expulsion and will miss Paderborn's league visit to Osnabruck on Saturday.

The Germany-born midfielder earned his maiden invitation to the Ghana national team in November 2019, and he made his debut appearance in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against Sao Tome and Principe which ended in a 1-0 win on November 18.

Nigeria defender Jamiliu Collins was also involved at the Benteler-Arena on Wednesday - he came on to replace Germany-born Chima Okoroji in the 82nd minute.

Collins was a key fixture in Baumgart’s squad last season and he has featured in eight league matches so far in the 2020-21 season.

Paderborn, who are fighting for an immediate return to the German top-flight, are 13th on the second division table with 15 points from 12 games.

They will be aiming to end the year on a high on Saturday with their fifth league win of the season before the winter break which will last until January 4.

The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores  has reached its quarter-final stage, as the delayed 2020 competition nears its end.

And Wednesday sees the final last-eight clash kick off in El Cilindro with Boca Juniors' visit to Racing Club

Boca were forced to delay their last-16 tie against Internacional for a week in November following the death of club legend Diego Maradona.

And Wednesday's game against the Xeneize's Clasico rivals will be key in defining the fate of this tie, which comes to a close on December 23 in the Bombonera.

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How to watch Racing vs Boca on US TV

What has happened to Racing and Boca so far in the 2020 Copa Libertadores?

Racing impressed throughout the group stage and were unlucky to only take second place in a pool that also included Uruguay's Nacional, Alianza Lima of Peru and Venezuelans Estudiantes Merida. 

The side coached by Sebastian Beccacece won all but one of their Group F games but were pushed out of top place by virtue of having an inferior goal difference to Nacional, which set up a daunting last-16 match with holders Flamengo. 

But after two 1-1 draws in Avellaneda and Rio de Janeiro La Academia finally prevailed on penalties, causing a major upset against one of the Copa favourites. 

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Boca have made steady if unspectacular progress through the Libertadores, buoyed by five goals from Argentina striker Eduardo Salvio and the ever-inspirational presence of Carlos Tevez.

The Xeneize came out top in Group H without losing a single game and conceding just one goal, and they looked set to continue in the same vein when Tevez's strike gave them a 1-0 victory away to Internacional in the last 16 first leg. 

Inter, however, struck back with their own win in the return, and the game was forced into a tense penalty shoot-out which was eventually won 5-4 by the relieved Argentines.

Racing and Boca team news and preview

Racing coach Beccacece is set to make 11 changes to the under-strength team that lost to Velez Sarsfield in Friday's Copa Diego Maradona match.

The likes of Lisandro Lopez and Chile international pair Eugenio Mena and Gabriel Arias thus all return to the starting line-up, while there is a boost for La Academia in the shape of Lorenzo Melgarejo, the Paraguay playmaker who has shaken off injury and will start alongside Lopez in attack.

Boca also make a host of changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Arsenal at the weekend, while coach Miguel Angel Russo enjoys a clean bill of health with no injury or suspension concerns. 

Leonardo Jara is expected to enter at right-back over Julian Buffarini, while Colombia international Edwin Cardona will partner Tevez in attack with Salvio starting from a wider position.

Probable Racing XI: Arias; Fabricio Domínguez, Sigali, Nery Domínguez, Soto, Mena; Melgarejo, Leonel Miranda, Rojas, Fertoli; Lopez.

Probable Boca XI:  Andrada; Jara, Izquierdoz, Lisandro Lopez, Fabra; Salvio, Campuzano, Capaldo, Villa; Cardona, Tevez.

When does the 2020 Copa Libertadores finish?

The 2020 Copa Libertadores was originally scheduled to conclude with a single final in a neutral ground, the system which replaced the old format of home and away legs last year, at the end of November. 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the tournament suffered almost six months of interruption, meaning that the final phases had to be pushed back into the South American summer months of late December and January. 

Boca Juniors and Racing Club additionally suffered a further week's delay when the former's last-16 first leg match against Internacional was suspended due to the death of Diego Maradona. The Argentine pair play the opener of their quarter final shortly after Santos-Gremio comes to an end, with the return taking place at the Bombonera on December 23. 

On Tuesday Palmeiras became the first side to book their place in the semis, dispatching Libertad 3-0 in Sao Paulo to advance 4-1 on aggregate.

The rest of the quarter-final ties conclude this week, with the last four taking place between January 5 and 13 following a short break for the festive period. 

The final proper is scheduled to be held at Rio de Janeiro's landmark Maracana Stadium on January 30.  

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Robert Lewandowski scored his 250th Bundesliga goal as Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 and keep the pressure on Bayer Leverkusen.

Maximilian Philipp had put Wolfsburg ahead at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday with a clinical finish after a mistake by Leroy Sane.

But Lewandowski headed in just before the break to reach the milestone and then added a decisive second early in the second half with a controlled finish.

Visitors Wolfsburg were unbeaten so far this season but saw that record ended as Bayern survived a late onslaught to remain a point behind leaders Leverkusen, 4-0 winners at Cologne.

Wolfsburg took the lead when Sane tried to control in the box rather than clear his lines, allowing Kevin Mbabu to cross for Philipp, who hooked the ball into the net.

Josip Brekalo soon whistled a shot just past the post, which finally sparked Bayern into life as Lewandowski saw a close-range effort kept out by a superb last-ditch block from Maxence Lacroix before Serge Gnabry headed over from a good position.

Wolfsburg maintained a threat of their own and almost had a spectacular second after 29 minutes when Philipp's volley was deflected into the side-netting.

But Bayern levelled on the stroke of half-time as Kingsley Coman curled the ball into the box for Lewandowski, left unmarked to head past Koen Casteels for his landmark goal.

The Bayern man had his second early in the second half when Lacroix slipped as he tried to clear Jerome Boateng's long pass, setting Lewandowski clear to arrow the ball into the corner of the net.

Philipp continued to be the focus of Wolfsburg's attacking play and saw an unconventional volleyed effort go wide from just outside the box.

And Bayern were indebted to a pair of brilliant late saves from Manuel Neuer as he expertly tipped over a shot from Bartosz Bialek and then parried a blast from the same man from the corner that followed.
 

What does it mean? Gritty Bayern back on track

Bayern had drawn their previous two games and needed a scrappy victory to reignite their Bundesliga campaign, with Wolfsburg duly obliging once again as accommodating opponents.

Wolfsburg have won none of their 24 Bundesliga away games at Bayern (drawn two, lost 22). In the history of the competition, no side has ever played as often at one opponent without tasting victory.

The home side fell behind in a sixth consecutive league match but showed their fighting spirit to stay hot on Leverkusen's heels.

Lewandowski hungry like a wolf

Polish striker Lewandowski is only the third player in Bundesliga history to reach the 250 goals after Gerd Muller (365) and Klaus Fischer (268), though he is the first non-German to achieve the feat.

He also clearly relishes games against Wolfsburg, having now scored 23 goals in 20 Bundesliga meetings – more than against any other club.

Weghorst fails to make his mark

Wolfsburg's Wout Weghorst had scored in five consecutive Bundesliga games before this encounter and would have equalled the club record of six had he netted against Bayern. 

However, it was a disappointing game for the striker as he failed to register a single shot on target with just three touches inside the penalty area.

Key Opta Facts

- Bayern are unbeaten against Wolfsburg in their 28 home games against them (26W 2D).
- Neuer celebrated his 200th win for Bayern in the Bundesliga in his 261th game, beating Thomas Muller's prior record of 200 wins after 275 Bundesliga games.
- Bayern have won 12 points from losing positions this season, the most in the Bundesliga.
- The champions have trailed in each of their past six Bundesliga games but have not lost one of them (3W 3D).

What's next?

Bayern are away to leaders Leverkusen in the Bundesliga on Saturday, a mouth-watering final fixture before the mid-season break. Wolfsburg host Stuttgart the following day.

Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer felt that his charges were tired during their clash with Chippa United on Wednesday night.

The Soweto giants came into the PSL game as the favourites to win the match after clinching the MTN8 title with a 2-1 win against Bloemfontein Celtic over the weekend

However, Pirates had to dig deep to overcome ten-man Chippa 1-0 in an encounter which was played at the Mecca of South African football, Orlando Stadium. 

"It's important we have three points. That was the target. We knew it was going to be a tough game," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV. 

"We came from the cup final. You saw today the players were tired and we didn't have enough chances and then the opponent got a red card.

"It was clear they were going to use a deep block after the sending-off and it's not easy to find a solution."

The Chilli Boys played the entre second-half with 10 players after Sandile Mthethwa was sent off in the last minute of the first half. 

Zinmbauer admitted that it was not a good performance by the Buccaneers as they were frustrated by the visitors until Fortune Makaringe netted Pirates' late winning goal.

"We then had opportunities to score but it's always so if you don't score, and we needed a goal," he continued. 

"We then had a good moment, a good combination for the goal we scored but at the end of the day, we have three points. It was not a top performance."

"We understand the psychology and things coming from the last game. We won the cup and it's not easy to come back as a player," he added. 

"As a player, I know it but as a coach, you can't understand why it's so hard for us today."

It was Pirates' last league match of the year and they will now focus on their upcoming Caf Confederation Cup first round first-leg match against Sagrada Esperanca.

The Buccaneers will be away to Esperanca on December 22, before hosting the Angolan side on January 6. 

Southampton star Theo Walcott commented on the "fear" afflicting the Arsenal team after opening the scoring against his former employers on Wednesday. 

The England international winger needed just 18 minutes to find the net at Emirates Stadium to increase the pressure on Mikel Arteta's under-performing charges. 

The Gunners, though, did manage to strike back, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levelling the game just after half-time. 

Arsenal were then reduced to 10 men when Gabriel saw red, but they were able to hold on to secure a 1-1 draw that breaks a run of three consecutive Premier League home defeats. 

That will come as little consolation to the club, who remain mired in 15th place just five points clear of the relegation zone. 

Walcott, who represented Arsenal for 12 years from 2005 to 2017, claimed that he could sense the anxious atmosphere surrounding his former team-mates.  

“I felt a lot of fear in Arsenal tonight, to be honest,” he said to Amazon after the game.

Quizzed on Walcott's comments in his post-match press conference, Arteta stated: "I don’t know. I was going to say that I just spoke with him and he never mentioned that to me. He mentioned other things but not that. I don’t know if he says that it’s his feeling."

The under-fire manager did express his hope that Wednesday's draw could prove a turning point for the Gunners after a rotten recent run of form. 

"I agree yes because at the end if we lose the game again that would be a difficult one to take," he said. "The players showed what we expect them to do. Some will be with more or less quality but at least the work is there.

"I saw all the players that weren’t participating and they were on the stands shouting and they were being right behind the team and living the game with them which is a really strong signal as well and I’m really proud."

Arsenal return to action on Saturday away to Everton at Goodison Park. Southampton meanwhile take on Manchester City as they look to continue their excellent start to the league season.