Messi and Ronaldo sparkle, Chelsea suffer loss
Sunday, December 7, 2014
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both helped themselves to hat-tricks in the Liga title race, on a weekend when Chelsea FC slipped to their first defeat this season.
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Chelsea FC's immaculate start to the season suffered a blemish on Saturday as the Premier League leaders succumbed to their first defeat of the campaign at Newcastle United FC. There were no such troubles for the top two in the Liga, though, as Lionel Messi responded to a hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo to keep his FC Barcelona side within two points of Real Madrid CF. There was a landmark goal for FC Bayern München's Franck Ribéry as well, while Juventus maintained their Serie A lead.
Group A
• José María Giménez and Mario Mandžukić were on target at Elche CF as Club Atlético de Madrid made it three Liga wins in a row.
• Juventus remain three points clear at the Serie A summit despite being held to a goalless draw at ACF Fiorentina on Friday.
• Olympiacos FC closed to within four points of Greek pacesetters PAOK FC after a 2-2 draw against PAS Giannina FC.
• Having completed the Swedish league campaign as champions, Malmö FF were not in action.
9 December: Olympiacos v Malmö, Juventus v Atlético
Group B
• Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick took his Liga tally to 200 goals and gave leaders Real Madrid a 3-0 win against RC Celta de Vigo, their 18th straight victory.
• A Matías Delgado double shaped FC Basel 1893's 3-0 defeat of lowly FC Luzern, securing an eight-point cushion at the winter break.
• Liverpool FC were frustrated by Sunderland AFC in a 0-0 draw at Anfield.
• PFC Ludogorets Razgrad kept the pressure on Bulgarian frontrunners PFC CSKA Sofia thanks to a 4-0 success at PFC Beroe Stara Zagora.
9 December:Liverpool v Basel, Real Madrid v Ludogorets
Group C
• Bayer 04 Leverkusen lost 1-0 to FC Bayern München and fell 13 points adrift of the Bundesliga leaders in fourth.
• Dimitar Berbatov scored in either half as AS Monaco FC won 2-0 at Toulouse FC.
• FC Zenit remain seven points clear in Russia after easing to 4-0 home win against FC Krasnodar.
• SL Benfica maintained their grip on top spot in Portugal by dispatching CF Os Belenenses 3-0.
9 December: Monaco v Zenit, Benfica v Leverkusen
Group D
• İlkay Gündoğan notched a first league goal since April 2013 as Borussia Dortmund beat TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 1-0 to move off the foot of the Bundesliga.
• Arsenal FC succumbed 3-2 at Stoke City FC and had Calum Chambers dismissed in their fourth league loss of the campaign.
• RSC Anderlecht dropped four points off the pace in Belgium following a surprise 4-2 reverse at Mouscron-Peruwelz.
• Galatasaray AŞ continue to lie a point behind Turkish top dogs Beşiktaş JK after overcoming Akhisar Belediyespor 2-1.
9 December: Galatasaray v Arsenal, Dortmund v Anderlecht
Group E
• Bayern downed Leverkusen 1-0 courtesy of Franck Ribéry's 100th goal for the Bundesliga leaders.
• An added-time goal earned AS Roma a 2-2 draw with US Sassuolo Calcio to keep them three points behind Serie A champions Juventus.
• Manchester City FC edged past Everton FC 1-0 to close the gap on top side Chelsea to three points, but Sergio Agüero suffered a knee injury.
• PFC CSKA Moskva remain second in Russia after Ahmed Musa's 45th-minute goal earned a 1-0 win at FC Kuban Krasnodar.
10 December: Roma v Manchester City, Bayern v CSKA
Group F
• Zlatan Ibrahimović fired a double to help Paris Saint-Germain come from behind to defeat FC Nantes 2-1.
• Lionel Messi plundered his 29th treble for Barcelona to spearhead a 5-1 comeback win against Catalan neighbours RCD Espanyol.
• Substitute Arkadiusz Milik struck twice as AFC Ajax dismantled Willem II 5-0 to maintain pressure on PSV Eindhoven.
• APOEL FC have only conceded two goals in their first 12 league games after prevailing 1-0 at Anorthosis Famagusta FC.
10 December: Barcelona v Paris, Ajax v APOEL
Group G
• Chelsea lost for the first time this season as a pair of Papiss Cissé goals secured a 2-1 win for Newcastle United.
• André Carrillo buried one and set up the other two goals as Sporting Clube de Portugal triumphed 3-1 at Boavista FC.
• Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's hat-trick helped FC Schalke 04 score four for a second week running, in a 4-0 success at VfB Stuttgart.
• NK Maribor kept up pressure at the top in Slovenia with a comfortable 4-1 win against NK Radomlje.
10 December: Chelsea v Sporting, Maribor v Schalke
Group H
• Jackson Martínez a mustered two goals as FC Porto strolled to a 3-0 success at A. Académica de Coimbra.
• FC Shakhtar Donetsk remain five points off the pace in Ukraine despite a 4-1 win at home to FC Hoverla Uzhhorod.
• Athletic Club's six-game unbeaten Liga run was brought to a halt in a 1-0 home reverse at the hands of Córdoba CF.
• Belarusian champions FC BATE Borisov were not in action after ending their domestic campaign last weekend.
10 December: Porto v Shakhtar, Athletic v BATE