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Rediff.com  » Sports » European Roundup: Barca, Atletico and Roma stay perfect
This article was first published 10 years ago

European Roundup: Barca, Atletico and Roma stay perfect

October 07, 2013 09:49 IST

Image: Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez reacts
Photographs: Albert Gea/Reuters

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid maintained their perfect records in La Liga while Premier League club Arsenal dropped points but returned to the top of the table.

-EPL PIX: Wilshere rescues Arsenal; Hazard, Willian lift Chelsea

-La Liga: Sanchez double lifts Barca as Ronaldo fires Real

Bayern Munich went top of the Bundesliga and Andrea Pirlo was in sparkling form as Juventus beat AC Milan in Italy where AS Roma won their seventh straight match.

Paris St Germain got the better of bitter rivals Olympique Marseille in Ligue 1.

Arsenal on top of the Premier League

Image: Jack Wilshere of Arsenal is challenged by Billy Jones of West Bromwich Albion during their English Premier League match at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich on Sunday
Photographs: Michael Regan/Getty Images

England

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League on Sunday after Jack Wilshere rescued a point for them in a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion, but rivals Liverpool, Chelsea and both Manchester clubs all made up ground with wins.

Liverpool are level on points with Arsenal after strikers Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge both scored for the second week running on Saturday in a 3-1 win at home to Crystal Palace, while Chelsea won at Norwich by the same scoreline to go third.

Jose Mourinho's team were 1-1 until the dying stages of Sunday's match but a raft of attacking substitutions and late goals from Eden Hazard and Willian helped give them a comfortable victory.

Manchester United's conveyor belt of exciting young players seems still to be in working order after 18-year-old Adnan Januzaj struck twice as they came from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1, avoiding a third straight league defeat.

The shock of the weekend came at White Hart Lane where Tottenham Hotspur were stunned 3-0 by West Ham United while surprise package Southampton won 2-0 at home to Swansea City to move fourth.

They are one spot above ManchesterCity who beat Everton 3-1.

Sanchez double lifts Barcelona

Image: Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez (right) jumps to the head the ball in front of Real Valladolid's Jesus Rueda
Photographs: Albert Gea/Reuters

Spain

Alexis Sanchez struck twice and created a goal for Neymar as Barcelona recovered from conceding early to maintain their perfect La Liga start with a 4-1 win at home to Real Valladolid on Saturday.

An eighth victory in eight games for the champions restored their five-point advantage over arch-rivals Real Madrid who needed a Cristiano Ronaldo goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time to secure a 3-2 triumph at Levante earlier.

Atletico Madrid kept pace with Barcelona with Diego Costa scoring both goals in a workmanlike 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Totti help Roma to stunning victory

Image: Francesco Totti of AS Roma (centre) celebrates his goal with teammate Alessandro Florenzi
Photographs: Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Italy

AS Roma made it seven wins from seven games when two goals from 37-year-old Francesco Totti helped them to a stunning 3-0 win at previously unbeaten Inter Milan.

A breakaway goal from Alessandro Florenzi completed the rout to leave Roma on 21 points from seven games and making them early title favourites.

Napoli and defending champions Juventus both won to stay two points behind.

Napoli demolished promoted Livorno 4-0 while goals from Andrea Pirlo, Sebastian Giovinco and Giorgio Chiellini gave Juve a 3-2 win over Milan, who had taken the lead through Sulley Muntari after 20 seconds. Muntari also scored Milan's consolation.

Bayern Munich reclaim top spot

Image: Simon Rolfes (left) of Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben head the ball
Photographs: Ralph Orlowski/Reuters

Germany

Treble winners Bayern Munich reclaimed top spot in the Bundesliga despite a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen.

Franck Ribery beautifully set up Toni Kroos for Bayern's 30th-minute lead but Leverkusen, a point behind on 19 in third place, struck straight back through Sidney Sam.

Bayern, who were the better team throughout and missed half a dozen clear scoring chances, have 20 points from eight matches, one ahead of Dortmund and third-placed Leverkusen.

The Bavarians, who were last beaten in the league by Leverkusen last year, have now gone 33 league games without defeat - three shy of the record.

Dortmund slipped down to second after missing a bagful of chances themselves and conceding two late goals to slump to a 2-0 defeat at Borussia Moenchengladbach for their first loss of the campaign.

Ibrahimovic scored winner from the penalty spot

Image: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Photographs: Milos Bicanski/EuroFootball/Getty Images

France

Monaco retained their Ligue 1 lead as James Rodriguez set up both goals in a 2-1 home win against St Etienne on Saturday.

Rodriguez fed Yannick Ferreira Carrasco and Lucas Ocampos to put the principality's side on 21 points from nine matches.

They lead Paris St Germain on goal difference as the French champions snatched a 2-1 comeback win at Olympique Marseille despite playing with 10 men for an hour.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the winner from the penalty spot.

Marseille are now fourth on 17 points.

Source: REUTERS
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