Tottenham sinks Fulham to stay level on points with fourth-place Chelsea


BARCELONA (AP) ― Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick and winger Angel Di Maria set up three goals to steer Spanish leader Real Madrid to a 7-1 win over 10-man Osasuna on Sunday.

Madrid’s seventh consecutive league win lifted it three points ahead of defending champion Barcelona, which tied Athletic Bilbao 2-2. Valencia is four points back.

Di Maria set up goals by Ronaldo, Pepe and fellow Argentina international Gonzalo Higuain to increase his league-leading assist total to 10 before halftime.

Osasuna played with 10 men from early in the second half and Ronaldo scored two more to record his fourth three-goal game in the league this season before substitute Karim Benzema capped the rout with a late brace.

“My goals are not important, what counts is that the team wins,” said Ronaldo, who has scored 17 goals in all competitions. “I am happy to have scored but also because the team is playing well.”

Lionel Messi’s stoppage-time goal salvaged a 2-2 draw for Barcelona. Midfielder Ander Herrera put Bilbao ahead in the 20th minute at San Mames stadium before Cesc Fabregas drew the visitors even with a header four minutes later.

Bilbao appeared set to get the win after Gerard Pique scored an own goal in the 80th, but Messi slotted home his league-leading 14th goal in the 91st to split the points. He’s one goal ahead of Ronaldo.

Also, Sporting Gijon drew 2-2 at Zaragoza, while Racing Santander at Granada finished 0-0.

Osasuna, which was missing nine first team players from injuries and suspensions, had already lost 8-0 at Barcelona earlier this season.

Before the game, Ronaldo paraded his Golden Boot trophy for Europe’s top scorer last season to the 83,000-seat Santiago Bernabeu stadium, which was full despite a first ever midday Sunday kickoff.

England

American goalkeeper Brad Friedel made a number of crucial saves to help Tottenham beat Fulham 3-1 Sunday and stay level on points with fourth-place Chelsea in the Premier League.

Tottenham took a 2-1 lead through goals by Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon before Friedel ― the Premier League’s oldest player ― saved from Moussa Dembele, Chris Baird, Clint Dempsey, Bobby Zamora and Brede Hangeland to keep his team ahead.

Tottenham substitute Jermain Defoe added a goal in injury time as Spurs’ seventh win from eight matches left them trailing Chelsea on goal difference for the final Champions League qualifying berth.

United States

Mike Magee scored the go-ahead goal on a pass from David Beckham in the 58th minute, and Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane also scored as the Los Angeles Galaxy advanced to the MLS Cup with a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Sunday night in the Western Conference final.

With spectacular plays from their trio of superstars, Los Angeles advanced to face the Houston Dynamo in the MLS title game Nov. 20 at Home Depot Center, where the Supporters’ Shield-winning Galaxy haven’t lost all year.

Beckham will play for his first MLS title in the final game of his groundbreaking five-year contract with the Galaxy. His sublime crossing pass set up Magee’s third goal of the postseason for Los Angeles, which advanced to its record seventh MLS title game.

Italy

Udinese moved top in the Italian league with a 2-1 win over Siena on Sunday after previous leader Juventus had its match at Napoli postponed due to flash floods.

Dusan Basta put Udinese in front less than a minute in at the Friuli stadium and Antonio Di Natale scored his league-leading eighth of the season in the 64th before Francesco Bolzoni pulled one back for Siena in the 76th.

Based in Udine near the Slovenian border, Udinese’s best finish in Serie A was third in 1998 when former Germany international Oliver Bierhoff scored a league-best 27 goals.

Defending champion AC Milan also jumped in front of Juventus with a 4-0 rout of Catania for its fifth consecutive win.

Germany

Mario Gomez and Franck Ribery scored in a labored 2-1 win for Bayern Munich over bottom side Augsburg on Sunday, moving their side five points clear in the Bundesliga.

Gomez scored with a header from close range in the 15th minute, when he was well placed to meet Mohamed Amsif’s save from Daniel van Buyten’s header.

Ribery twisted inside Dominik Reinhardt before slotting past the helpless Amsif to make it 2-0 in the 28th.

Manuel Neuer denied Augsburg an equalizer in the 83rd, with a great reflex save from Edmond Kapllani who was through one-on-one. In a nervous finish for the Bundesliga leader, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Daniel Baier in injury time.

France

Montpellier salvaged a 1-1 draw at Saint-Etienne on Sunday to remain in second place in the French league behind leader Paris Saint-Germain.

Romania playmaker Banel Nicolita headed in a cross from Fabien Lemoine to give Saint-Etienne the lead in the 32nd minute. But Montpellier midfielder Joris Marveaux took a headed pass from Olivier Giroud to score from close range in the 57th.

Also Sunday, it was: Sochaux 2, Lyon 1; Rennes 1, Valenciennes 1; Lorient 2, Ajaccio 0; Marseille 2, Nice 0; Caen 3, Dijon 0; Nancy 2, Brest 1.

Scotland

Celtic substitute Gary Hooper scored with 10 minutes left Sunday for a 2-1 win at Motherwell that took his team above its opponent to second place in the Scottish Premier League.