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• Flick demands consistency from stumbling league leaders Barcelona

  Hansi Flick demanded Barcelona show their quality on a more consistent basis after they stumbled to a 2-2 draw at Real Betis, leaving them vulnerable at the top of LaLiga.

  Barca twice took the lead at the Benito Villamarin Stadium via goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, but Betis fought back through Giovani Lo Celso and substitute Assane Diao to earn a share of the points.

  After the draw, Flick's side have 38 points from 17 matches but second-placed rivals Real Madrid, who have 33, can move past them if they are able to win their two games in hand.

  "It wasn't a good game. We are a young team and we need to improve a lot," Flick told reporters.

  "We must be stronger, especially when we play away. We have quality, but we have to show it in every game. We could have played better.

  "But we've been slow in passing, with a lot of long balls... it's not what we want and not our strength. We have to focus on our strengths and what we have to do."

  Flick was shown a red card in the second half for protesting after Betis were awarded a penalty, with the VAR stepping in to punish Frenkie De Jong's tackle on Vitor Roque.

  The former Bayern boss believes he did nothing wrong but said he is not planning on appealing the red card.

  "Marcus [Sorg], my assistant, did a good job. We scored a goal with him on the sidelines," Flick said.

  "I didn't say anything to anyone, it was just my reaction. It took a long time to decide if it was a penalty or not.

  "If you need so much time, it can be a doubt. I don't agree with my sending off. It has never happened to me before. I got angry at myself, not at anyone else."

  Barcelona next travel to Germany for a Champions League meeting with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, before hosting Leganes in LaLiga on December 15. 

• Juventus 2-2 Bologna: Mbangula keeps hosts unbeaten with last-gasp goal

  Juventus came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bologna and maintain their unbeaten start to the season in Serie A, as Samuel Mbangula's stoppage-time goal ensured they drew for the ninth time this campaign.

  Juventus had been staring at a first league defeat under Thiago Motta, having entered the final half-hour 2-0 down to their in-form visitors.

  Dan Ndoye gave Bologna a deserved lead on the half-hour mark and they doubled their advantage seven minutes into the second half through Tommaso Pobega.

  Teun Koopmeiners pulled one back for Juventus 10 minutes later and, with time running out, Mbangula struck from outside the area to snatch a last-gasp draw for the hosts.

  Though they remain the only unbeaten side in the Italian top flight this campaign, Juve sit sixth with 27 points from 15 games, their nine draws keeping them seven adrift of leaders Atalanta.

  Bologna, meanwhile, are still eighth but have moved level on 22 points with AC Milan, having played one game fewer than the Bianconeri.

  Data Debrief: The kids are alright for Juve

  Juventus' fans may have been frustrated by watching their side play out yet another stalemate in Turin, but things could have been far worse if not for Mbangula.

  The Belgian forward wrapped his foot around Dusan Vlahovic's pass on the edge of the area, bending a cultured finish beyond the reach of visiting goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski in the second minute of stoppage time.

  In Mbangula (who was born in 2004 and has two goals) and Kenan Yildiz (2005, three goals), Juve are the only team in Serie A to have multiple players born in 2004 or later with at least two goals this season.

• Unai Emery sets Champions League mission as Aston Villa edge Southampton win

  Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is quickly turning his attention to the UEFA Champions League following their 1-0 Premier League win over Southampton.

  Jhon Duran's first-half goal sealed successive league victories for Emery on the back of three straight top-flight losses against rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.

  Victory against the Saints is a vital boost for Emery ahead of a crucial few weeks of action before the end of 2024.

  Villa head to RB Leipzig on 10 December, looking to push their case for a spot in the Round of 16, followed by four more league clashes this month.

  The immediate focus for Emery is on Leipzig, with Villa's contrasting European form a cause for concern, despite a brilliant start on their Champions League debut.

  Three straight wins in their first appearance in the competition since it was renamed – including an historic 1-0 home victory over Bayern Munich – put Villa in a strong position, but defeat to Club Brugge and a 0-0 tie with Juventus has stalled their momentum.

  The former Arsenal chief wants this result to act as a platform for his team ahead of their tricky trip to Germany in midweek.

  "Over the 90 minutes we had chances to score more, but sometimes they dominated possession. We managed the game plan to try and find a way to win," as per quotes from BBC Sport.

  "The most important thing is how we're progressively getting more comfortable on the field. We had to use substitutions because we have the Champions League on Tuesday. Three matches in nine days. We have to be ready with the players we have available to try and enjoy the competition.

  "The Champions League is something we have to enjoy, but we also focus on the difficulties in the Premier League, and the challenge against Nottingham Forest is something else. But, we have to try and get to the next round of the Champions League."

  Up next for Villa is that Midlands derby with Forest, followed by a crunch clash at home to Manchester City on 21 December.

  A win for Villa puts them up to fifth in the table, but defeat for Southampton registers as their 12th league loss of the campaign so far, with Russell Martin's team still rooted to the foot of the table.

  Individual mistakes are becoming a theme, and centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis was robbed by Duran for Villa's winner, with Martin left to rue a familiar frustrating story for his team.

  "We gave away a poor goal when it was a good, tight game. We changed shape and then the game became transitional. They were trying to find another goal, so it became very open," he said.

  "We're two v one, and we had a chance to clear the ball, and we don't. It's another mistake. We forced them long, and then we had another two v one, and he [Duran] somehow comes out with the ball and scores."

  Up next for Southampton is a home tie with Tottenham next weekend, followed by an EFL Cup quarter-final at home to Liverpool on December 18.