Mata scores in Chelsea debut

Published : Aug. 28, 2011 - 18:26

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LONDON (AP) ― Juan Mata scored on his Chelsea debut to complete a 3-1 victory over Norwich on Saturday in a Premier League match overshadowed by teammate Didier Drogba being knocked unconscious.

Mata, who joined from Valencia this week, netted in the 11th minute of stoppage time, which resulted from Drogba requiring treatment on the pitch after being accidentally punched by Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy.

While the Ivory Coast striker was taken to hospital, Chelsea said he only had “mild concussion” and would be released on Saturday night.

“He is showing some good signs of recovery for us to be a little bit more tranquil,” Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said.

Frank Lampard restored Chelsea’s lead from the penalty spot after Grant Holt canceled out Jose Bosingwa’s early opener.

Chelsea was kept off the top of the standings on goal difference by Liverpool, which beat Bolton 3-1 after goals from Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel.

Also Saturday, Franco Di Santo scored twice as Wigan beat Queens Park Rangers 2-0 and Mikel Arteta’s penalty gave Everton a 1-0 win at Blackburn, which failed to score from two penalties against U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard.

There were scoreless draws between Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Swansea and Sunderland.

Among Sunday’s fixtures, Manchester United takes on Arsenal and Manchester City is at Tottenham.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea got off to the perfect start when Bosingwa scored his first goal since November 2008.

Just six minutes had elapsed when the Portugal defender found the back of the net from 25 meters via the inside of the post.

Norwich, though, was back in the game in the 63rd after Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario needlessly came racing off his line to claim a cross and collided with Branislav Ivanovic, allowing Holt to hook the ball into the empty net.

Hamburg forward Son Heung-min celebrates his goal against FC Cologne on Saturday. Hamburg lost 4-3. (AFP-Yonhap News)

Germany

Mario Gomez converted two penalties in his hat trick to give Bayern Munich a 3-0 win over Kaiserslautern, leaving his side provisionally top of the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Gomez scored from the spot in the 37th minute, and again in the 55th at the second attempt, before Thomas Mueller set up his third goal in the 69th.

Kaiserslautern’s Ivo Ilicevic received a straight red card in the final minute for a kick on Anatoliy Tymoshchuk.

Canada defender Kevin McKenna scored an 88th-minute winner ― three minutes after going on a substitute ― as Cologne twice came from behind to win 4-3 at Hamburger SV.

Defending champion Borussia Dortmund and runner-up Bayer Leverkusen finished 0-0 and without a man each.

Leverkusen defender Michal Kadlec earned a second yellow card for a bad challenge on Mario Goetze in 64th, and Goetze received a straight red for a flick in retaliation at Hanno Balitsch in the 77th.

Nuremberg beat Augsburg 1-0, Freiburg overran Wolfsburg 3-0, and Werder Bremen won 2-1 at Hoffenheim.

Spain

Imanol Agirretxe headed two goals to give 10-man Real Sociedad a 2-1 win at Sporting Gijon in the first game of the strike-delayed Spanish league season on Saturday.

Agirretxe- starting for the injured Joseba Llorente- scored with a header in the 35th minute off a pass from defender Carlos Martinez, and added another in the 65th after Xabi Prieto knocked on a cross from Alberto de la Bella.

Sporting’s Miguel de Las Cuevas scored with a penalty kick in the 68th after Martinez was ejected for pulling down Alberto Botia in the area. But Sociedad held its lead to give coach Philippe Montanier his debut win.

Sporting defender Alberto Lola was sent off for a second yellow in extra time.

Coach Hector Cuper makes his debut later Saturday with Racing Santander against Valencia, a team he took to consecutive Champions League finals a decade ago.

Granada plays its first first-division game in 35 years as it hosts fellow promoted club Betis.

Real Madrid visits Zaragoza on Sunday, while three-time defending league champion Barcelona hosts Villarreal on Monday night.

France

Alain Traore scored twice to lead Auxerre to a 4-1 rout of Ajaccio and give his club its first victory of the season in the French league on Saturday.

Kamel Chafni converted a rebound to put Auxerre ahead in the 34th minute.

Traore then fired a free kick into the top corner in the 75th to double the lead before notching his fifth goal this season to make it 3-0 in the 80th.

Brazilian forward Araujo Ilan pulled one back for Ajaccio in the 83rd.

Scotland

Motherwell ended Dunfermline’s unbeaten start to the Scottish Premier League as Michael Higdon netted twice in a 4-2 victory on Saturday.

After Higdon’s opener, Jamie Murphy and Chris Humphrey also scored for Motherwell.

But despite David Graham’s shot deflected in off Dunfermline teammate Joe Cardle, who then also scored, there was no third goal before Higdon scored Motherwell’s fourth.

Mata scores in Chelsea debut

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