United responds well to humiliating exit from Champions League


MADRID (AP) ― Alexis Sanchez, Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas scored, and Barcelona snapped Real Madrid’s 15-match winning streak with a 3-1 victory Saturday, overcoming one of the fastest goals in clasico history.

Barcelona also overtook Madrid on goal difference atop the Spanish league standings.

Karim Benzema opened the scoring just 21 seconds in after Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes miskicked a clearance at Bernabeu Stadium.

But Lionel Messi eluded the Madrid defense to set up Sanchez on the half-hour mark and Hernandez’s deflected shot gave Barcelona the lead in the 53rd. Fabregas added a header in the 66th minute.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho sprang a minor surprise in his starting lineup by putting the more attack-minded Mesut Oezil alongside Lassana Diarra and Xabi Alonso in midfield. Mourinho and assistant Aitor Karanka had dropped hints before the game that a more defensive midfielder would bolster the center of the field.

Mourinho also put Benzema up front with Cristiano Ronaldo, leaving Gonzalo Higuain on the bench.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola started with Sanchez and Fabregas providing support to Messi. Captain Carles Puyol replaced Javier Mascherano in the center of defense alongside Gerard Pique, with David Villa on the bench.

As expected, Madrid opened the game with its usual speedy pace, but it was a simple mistake by Valdes that led to the quick opening goal.

The goalkeeper tried to clear the ball away but he shanked his kick right to Angel Di Maria, who tried to release Benzema. His attempted pass ended up in front of Oezil, whose volley hit Sergio Busquets and rebounded to Benzema, who smashed it into the roof of the net from point-blank range.

That goal, timed at 21 seconds, is believed to be the fastest in clasico history and only the fifth between the teams in the first minute of play.

The early strike fueled the electric atmosphere in the Bernabeu, with white flag-waving fans even cheering throw-ins.

Barcelona threatened for the first time when Sergio Ramos slipped and presented the ball to Messi, but Iker Casillas produced a fine low save to thwart the Argentine forward in the seventh minute.

England

Manchester United responded well to its humiliating exit from the Champions League, rediscovering its scoring touch in a 4-1 victory over Wolverhampton on Saturday that kept the pressure on Premier League leader Manchester City.

Nani and Wayne Rooney ― with his first goals since mid-September ― both scored twice in a romp at Old Trafford to leave United two points behind City, which visits title rival Chelsea on Monday.

“Sometimes strikers go in bursts and hopefully that is Wayne on a spurt of goals now to take us up to New Year,” said United manager Alex Ferguson, whose team lost 2-1 to FC Basel on Wednesday. “I always say December is an important month. If we get to the New Year still in the frame, we have a great chance.”

Robin van Persie took his league-high goal tally to 15 with Arsenal’s winner in the 1-0 victory over Everton, smashing home a volley in the 70th minute to lift his team into the top four for now.

Liverpool edged Queens Park Rangers 1-0 thanks to Luis Suarez’s first goal in more than two months to move into sixth above Newcastle, which lost 4-2 to Norwich for its third defeat in four matches.

Wigan climbed out of last place by beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1. It was replaced by Bolton, which slumped to a fourth straight defeat by losing 2-1 at home to struggling Aston Villa.

Brad Guzan, Villa’s American goalkeeper, made his first Premier League start. He had a number of good stops before being denied a shutout by Ivan Klasni in the second half.

Italy

Miroslav Klose scored twice and set up another goal as Lazio won 3-2 at Lecce on to move into second place in the Italian league.

Lecce took the lead on a penalty kick by David Di Michele in the 12th minute, and Klose then responded by scoring from within the box in the 28th and setting up a goal for Lorik Cana in the 48th.

Stefano Ferrario tied it for Lecce with a header in the 59th. Klose restored his team’s lead by heading in a cross from Djibril Cisse in the 87th for his eighth goal in 14 games.

Germany

Borussia Moenchengladbach missed a chance to go to the top of the Bundesliga when promoted Augsburg won 1-0 to pull out of last place.

Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker scored against his former club when goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen was powerless to stop his deflected free kick in the 51st minute.

Lukas Podolski scored twice, helped set up another and hit the crossbar as Cologne won 4-0 in its 400th Bundesliga game at home to leave Freiburg in last place.

U.S. defender Timmy Chandler was sent off in Nuremberg’s 2-0 defeat to Hoffenheim. Werder Bremen beat Wolfsburg 4-1 and Mainz drew 0-0 with Hamburg.

Scotland

U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra returned from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since Nov. 19, playing the entire 90 minutes in Rangers’ 2-0 win at Hibernian.

Nikica Jelavic scored both goals in the second half, putting the reigning champions ahead with a 61st-minute penalty kick before wrapping up victory eight minutes later by heading home a corner for his 14th goal of the season.

Second-place Celtic kept the pressure on its Glasgow rival by beating Hearts 1-0, staying four points behind with a sixth straight victory.

Aberdeen moved out of last with a 2-2 draw at home to St. Mirren. Now in last place is Dunfermline, whose home game against Kilmarnock was postponed because of fog.

France

Paris Saint-Germain leveled with French league leader Montpellier in the standings after beating Sochaux 1-0 on Saturday.

France international Kevin Gameiro dribbled past Sochaux defender Loic Poujol to notch his ninth goal this season with an angled shot in the 20th minute.