Iago Aspas scored a brace as Celta Viga claimed a shocking 4-1 victory over Barcelona on Wednesday in La Liga. 

Celta dominated their more famous visitors throughout the night, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime on goals by Nolito and Aspas. After the break, Aspas netted his second before Neymar pulled a goal back for Barcelona. John Guidetti then sealed the win with Celta’s fourth in the 83rd minute.

“I’m not happy to lose 4-1. I’ll evaluate and analyse it but it’s a test to show how difficult it can be,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique Barca boss told reporters (h/t Goal.com). “All that remains is to congratulate Celta. They played a very complete game, in terms of effectiveness and their football.”

The result was historic on multiple levels. Celta had not scored four goals in a league game against Barcelona since 1957, per ESPN FC. As B/R UK noted on Twitter, it was Barca’s first three-goal loss in La Liga since 2008. 

While the scoreline was certainly a shock, perhaps more should have seen it coming. After winning the treble last season, Barcelona have been vulnerable defensively in the early stages of the current campaign. The Blaugrana conceded four goals in the UEFA Super Cup and let in five more over two legs of the Spanish Super Cup.

Celta, meanwhile, have one of La Liga’s most potent attacking threats in Nolito, as Opta pointed out:

The loss sent Barcelona tumbling to fifth place, though Luis Enrique’s men sit just one point behind Real Madrid, Celta Vigo and Villarreal. The Blaugrana will hope to right the ship on Saturday, when Las Palmas visit the Camp Nou. Celta play at Eibar the same day. 

Elsewhere in La Liga, Real Madrid took over first place with a 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao. Karim Benzema fired in both goals as the Blancos claimed the top spot on goal difference.

Benzema pounced on a mistake to put Real ahead in the 19th minute. Then, just three minutes after Athletic had leveled through Sabin Merino, the Frenchman grabbed the winner with a tap-in.

Up next for Real is a home match against Malaga on Saturday.

 

Dortmund held, Gladbach finally win

Borussia Dortmund failed to win for the first time in 12 competitive matches this season, settling for a 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.

Thomas Tuchel’s side had won each of their 11 previous matches in all competitions, but Wednesday’s draw leaves BVB two points behind Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table.

Sebastian Rudy gave Hoffenheim the lead just before halftime, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalized for Dortmund after the break with his seventh goal of the season.

At the other end of the table, Borussia Monchengladbach won for the first time in six attempts, beating Augsburg 4-2 at Borussia-Park. The win came just three days after Lucien Favre resigned as manager. The Foals had started the season with five consecutive losses, conceding 12 goals in the process.

Against Augsburg, however, Gladbach couldn’t have asked for a better start. United States international Fabian Johnson opened the scoring in the fifth minute, and Granit Xhaka, Lars Stindl and Mahmoud Dahoud all found the net by the 21st minute to make the score 4-0. 

Paul Verhaegh converted two second-half penalties for Augsburg, who have also won just once in their first six league games.

 

Inter maintain perfect start

Inter Milan remained perfect in Serie A with a 1-0 victory at home over Hellas Verona. Felipe Melo scored the game’s only goal in the 56th minute as the Nerazzurri claimed a fifth win from five matches this season.

Roberto Mancini’s men top the table with 15 points, three clear of Fiorentina in second place.

Champions Juventus are now 10 points off the top following yet another disappointing result, a 1-1 draw against bottom club Frosinone. The hosts took the lead through Simone Zaza early in the second half, but Frosinone—who are playing their first-ever season in Serie A—equalized on Leonardo Blanchard’s header in stoppage time.

It was the promoted club’s first point in Italy’s top flight. Juventus, who are searching for a fifth straight title, have claimed only five points from their first five matches.

 

Flamini fires Arsenal past Spurs

Veteran midfielder Mathieu Flamini recorded the first brace of his career as Arsenal defeated north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the Capital One Cup. Flamini put the Gunners ahead in the first half after latching onto a rebound. Then, after an own goal drew Tottenham level, he volleyed in the winner 12 minutes from time.

Elsewhere in the Cup, Manchester United eased past Ipswich Town 3-0, Chelsea routed Walsall 4-1 and Liverpool needed penalties to beat fourth-tier Carlisle United.

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