European round-up
Two points still separate Barcelona and Real Madrid whilst Valencia are a distant third some thirteen points back and Sevilla fourth, three backs again. That top four seem to be fairly well established now.
Barcelona stayed top after scraping a 2-1 win over Malaga at the Camp Nou. After a goalless first half Barcelona took the lead through Pedrito on seventy minutes only for Malaga to equalise ten minutes later. It took a Messi goal six minutes from the end to secure the points.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid were having a slightly easier time of it as they thrashed Tenerife 5-1 on their own ground. A brace from Higuain took them into half-time 2-0 up and although Tenerife pulled one back just after the break, further goals from Kaka, Ronaldo and Raul, gave them an easy win.
The chasing pack fell further back as Valencia finished their game with nine men and lost 4-1 at Atletico Madrid. Valencia took the lead through David Silva in the first half but just before the half hour Marchena received his marching orders and Madrid equalised from the spot. Madrid took the lead ten minutes from the end and then Miguel was also sent off and Madrid added another two in the last four minutes.
Sevilla ended their game with ten men after Romaric was sent off early in the second half of their home game against Athletic Bilbao. The game ended goalless.
Inter remain at the top, four points clear of Milan with Roma three points further back. Palermo are heading the chasing pack in the race for fourth place.
Inter earned a hard fought 3-2 win at Udinese. Things had looked fairly straight forward after Balotelli, Maicon and Milito had put them 3-1 up before half-time after Udinese had opened the scoring after two minutes. An Udinese penalty seven minutes into the second-half meant that Inter had to hang on for the points.
Milan stayed in touch with a 3-1 win over Atalanta at the San Siro. Two from Pato and one from Borriello gave them the points on a day when David Beckham showed that his delivery from set pieces is still a potent weapon.
Roma were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw at Napoli. The draw was even more disappointing after goals from Baptista and Vucinic had seen them 2-0 up with just fourteen minutes left.
Palermo claimed fourth place after they had an impressive 2-0 win at Juventus.
Bayern Munich are two points clear at the top in Germany, from Bayer Leverkusen in second. Schalke are two points behind them in third whilst Hamburg lead the pack some eight points behind them.
Bayern beat fourth placed Hamburg with a solitary second-half Ribery goal being enough to take the points at the Allianz Arena.
Bayer Leverkusen lost their grip on the lead after being held to a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Cologne.
Schalke consolidated third place with a 2-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund. The visitors had taken the lead early in the second-half but goals from Howedes and Rakitic gave the home side the points.
It is tight at the top as PSV lead FC Twente by just one point. Third and fourth place seem to be sorted already with Ajax in third place some six points behind and Feyenoord clear in fourth, eleven points further back.
PSV remain unbeaten and that record never looked in danger at the weekend as Dzsudzsak, Afellay, Koevermans and Amrabat put them 4-0 up against RKC Waalwijk before half-time. They slowed down after the break and a second from Koevermans gave them a 5-1 win in the end.
Less impressive were FC Twente who needed an 85th minute Ruiz goal to give them a 2-1 win over NEC. De Jong had given them the lead but the visitors equalised midway through the second-half.
Ajax kept their feint hopes alive with a comprehensive 4-0 thrashing of FC Utrecht, whilst Feyenoord consolidated fourth place with an exciting 3-2 win at Groningen.
Bordeaux and Montpellier are joint top of the French League but Bordeaux are in the driving seat as they have two games in hand. Lyon are third whilst Marseille, who also have a game in hand, are fourth.
Montpellier took advantage of Bordeaux not playing as they ran out comfortable 3-1 winners over Rennes. The goals came from Camara and a brace from the gloriously named Joris Marveaux.
Lyon beat Nice 2-0 through an early Lopez strike and a last minute own goal, whilst Marseille kept up the pressure with a fine 3-0 win at PSG. Ben Arfa, Gonzalez and Cheyrou all found the net.
Benfica lead the way from Braga by just one point whilst Porto are a long way back but clear in third place.
Di Maria bagged a hat-trick for the leaders as they won convincingly 4-0 at second from bottom club Leixoes, with the other goal from Eder Luis.
Braga had Matheus, Evaldo and Meyong to thank for their 3-1 win over struggling Olhanense.
Porto’s slight hopes of winning the league almost disappeared after they went down 3-0 at fourth placed Sporting.
It is pretty much season over in Scotland. The goal scored by Edu deep into injury-time that gave Rangers an undeserved 1-0 over Celtic meant that they are now ten points clear at the top and have a game in hand.
Celtic will feel hard done by as they were the better team on the day and were desperately unlucky to have Scott Brown sent-off. Having said that, the title isn’t decided on one game and there are several other games this season that Celtic need to look at to explain why they are so far behind.
Panathinaikos are two points clear at the top with Olympiakos and PAOK Salonica locked together in second place.
The leaders had a regulation 2-0 away win at Panionios, whilst Olympiakos did exactly the same thing at home to Atromitos.
PAOK stayed in the hunt with a 3-0 win at FC Xanthi.
It’s all change at the top in Turkey. Galatasaray have taken the lead by a point from Bursaspor who themselves are a point clear of former leaders Fenerbahce.
Whilst Galatasaray were having an easy 4-1 win at home to Kasimpasa and Bursaspor were seeing off Sivasspor 3-0, the leaders at the start of the weekend were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at mid-table Istanbul BB.
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