Two goals by Neymar guided Barcelona to a 2-1 victory

Neymar converted a penalty after Mario Gaspar had handled the ball, only for the visitors to equalise through Mateo Musacchio's fierce header three minutes after the break. Barcelona were finding Villarreal's defence tough to break down but they eventually found their way through in the 68th minute when Neymar fired home a simple goal.

Barcelona almost went ahead in the sixth minute when Alex Song's close-range volley hit the post, with no home player following up.Neymar confidently strode up and rolled the ball to the right of the goalkeeper to put Barcelona ahead. The hosts almost doubled their lead in the 40th minute when Alexis Sanchez controlled a Martin Montoya shot from the edge of the area, turned and shot only for Sergio Asenjo to spread himself and tip the ball round the post.

Barcelona went close to regaining the lead when Cesc Fabregas ran on to a defence-splitting pass, only for Asenjo to block his shot with his feet. They did, though, go back in front midway through the half through Neymar.

Barcelona vs. Malaga

Barcelona will rue the countless missed chances as Malaga left the Camp Nou with a 2-2 draw thanks to a 90th minute equalizer from Nacho Camacho. The teams will meet again next week with Los Boquerones holding two away goals in the pocket and Barcelona facing a challenge to keep their cup run alive.

Alexis Sanchez nearly put Barcelona ahead in the 5th minute, chipping the ball over the charging Carlos Kameni. Luckily for Malaga, Sergio Sanchez was in the right place and picked the ball up in the air and away from danger.

Alexis was at it again a minute later completely bottled a shot 6-yards from a nearly empty net after a bit of individual brilliance from Messi to find Cristian Tello, somehow sneaking the ball around Jesus Gamez. Tello crossed to the wide open Alexis, but his shot skied over the crossbar after he appeared to get his foot stuck in the grass a bit before he contacted the ball.

Despite the domination from Barcelona it was Malaga who opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Thiago received a short outlet pass from José Manuel Pinto and was immediately pick pocketed by Manuel Iturra who wasted no time racing forward and putting his shot past Pinto who was still well off his line after the initial pass.

Lionel Messi equalized for Barca in the 29th minute, racing down the right side before putting a bit too much on the ball and sending it right to Robson Weligton. Messi was at full speed though and jumped right on to Weligton, taking the ball away and moving in to the box before curling a shot past Kamini to make it 1-1.

A minute later, captain Carles Puyol put Barcelona in the lead somehow heading home a Tello corner as he was moving away from the goal. Puyol's header went back across the face of goal and tucked itself in the side netting making it 2-1 for the home side. Alexis whiffed on yet another point blank chance in the 38th minute. Tello whipped in another perfectly placed cross to Alexis at the fair post and the Chilean, who had a significant portion of the net to aim at, sent the ball sailing in the wrong direction.

In the 75th minute Cesc Fábregas found Pedro behind the Malaga defense with a precise long ball and Nacho Monreal had no choice but to bring Pedro down, denying a goal scoring opportunity. The referee wasted no time showing Monreal a red card and forcing Malaga to play with 10-men for the final 15 minutes.

With just stoppage time looming, Malaga stunned the Camp Cou crowd with an equalizer that puts Barcelona in serious trouble heading in to the second leg at La Rosadela. Duda whipped a ball the far post where Ignacio Camacho put the ball past Pinto in the far corner with a perfectly executed volley.

Bayern Munich a step closer to appearing in the UEFA Champions League final

Mario Gomez struck a 90th-minute winner to move Bayern Munich a step closer to appearing in the UEFA Champions League final in its own stadium with a narrow 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Allianz Arena. Franck Ribery gave Bayern the lead in the 17th minute of the semi-final first leg, but Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil levelled early in the second half.

Bayern dominated for large parts of the game and found a deserved winner in the last minute through the prolific Gomez, giving it a slender advantage to take to Spain next week. Madrid had the better of the first 10 minutes, but all it could produce was a shot from Karim Benzema which Manuel Neuer tipped over the crossbar after Bastian Schweinsteiger uncharacteristically gave away possession in midfield.

Bayern responded and took the game to its visitor. Ribery felt he should have had a penalty when he went to ground under a challenge from Sergio Ramos inside the area, but referee Howard Webb waved play on. But the France winger was soon celebrating as he rifled Bayern in front with a shot from 10 yards, which only just avoided Luiz Gustavo in an offside position. The host was looking dangerous every time it came forward, and those attacks were becoming increasingly frequent, with Arjen Robben marauding down the right and Ribery causing confusion in the Madrid defence down the Bayern left.

But it failed to make its pressure count with Gomez's shot turned behind by Iker Casillas just before the break. And Madrid levelled on the counter-attack eight minutes after the break. Cristiano Ronaldo looked to have wasted the chance when his tame effort, one-on-one with the keeper, was saved by Neuer. But Benzema picked up the rebound and took the ball back into the area, playing it across goal to Ronaldo, whose clever pull-back gave Ozil a tap-in from a yard out.

Madrid enjoyed its best spell of the game with Bayern and many of the 66,000 fans in the Allianz Arena becoming increasingly anxious. The Bavarian side regrouped and soon got back on top of the game, though. Gomez spurned an excellent chance to put it back in front in the 71st minute when he lifted the ball over the bar from close range after being teed up unwittingly by Sergio Ramos.

Gomez headed straight at Casillas as the host continued to be frustrated in its attempts to find another goal. Two hopeful penalty claims were waved away by referee Webb as Bayern kept on pressing and the pressure finally paid off in the 90th minute. Philipp Lahm got to the byline down the right and fired a ball in which Gomez, sliding in, bundled over the line at the near post.

Arsenal Vs. Chelsea, Poor Match ever played in premier league

Arsenal and Chelsea were supposed to play an entertaining clash in their fight for Champions League places, but they instead decided to play one of the most dire matches of the Premier League season. Neither team was at their best, and it seemed very obvious that Chelsea were looking ahead to Barcelona and that Arsenal's best midfielders were missing. The biggest events were blocked shots and bad misses in a poor 0-0 draw.

The first half was mostly controlled by Chelsea, though Arsenal had the only two clear-cut chances of the period. Robin van Persie failed to make the most of a great free kick by Theo Walcott in the 13th minute, missing badly at the far post. Arsenal's other good opportunity of the half also came on a free kick, with Laurent Koscielny hitting a header off the crossbar.

Unfortunately for Arsenal, the biggest event of this game was probably an injury. Early in the second half, Theo Walcott pulled up with a hamstring problem. He attempted to continue, but pulled up lame again and appeared to make his injury worse in the process. He was replaced by Gervinho in the 60th minute, and Arsenal could be without him for a couple of games.

Chelsea did have one good attack late in the game, created by Juan Mata who came on as a substitute, but some great defending by Koscielny prevented it from ever being dangerous. In the 87th minute, the ball fell to Daniel Sturridge in the penalty area, but Koscielny got across for a great block. Arsenal are now six points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur for third, but Spurs have two games in hand. Spurs and Newcastle have one game in hand on Chelsea, and both now lead them by one point.

Fc Bayern Munich make a clear win 2-1 against Real Madrid

Bayern Munich kept up their impeccable record of having never lost at home to Real Madrid as they win with 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Allianz Arena. The hosts opened the scoring through Franck Ribery in the 17th minute but Los Blancos showed great resilience and pulled back a vital away goal through Mesut Ozil early in the second half.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was pulsating and the early moments were certainly befitting of the occasion. Los Blancos' keep-ball tactics were clearly grating on the crowd and they were further incensed when Ribery saw his claim for a penalty turned down in the 15th minute. Frustration then turned to elation just two minutes later as the Bavarians took the lead. Toni Kroos' corner was not dealt with by Sergio Ramos and the ball fell to Ribery, who rifled a low shot past Iker Casillas from 12 yards.

Bayern remained solid and were getting a lot of joy in the wide areas but Jose Mourinho's men regained their composure to end the half on a brighter note. The hosts could not regain the ball and were being pinned back in their own final third. In their haste to find an equaliser, Madrid almost went two behind after a swift counterattack from the hosts. Gomez burst in on the left-hand side of the area but his shot was kept out by a diving Casillas who got two strong hands to it and turned the ball behind.

Los Blancos began the second half in a similar vein to the first and drew level in the 53rd minute. The Bayern defence was caught ball-watching as Benzema's mishit committed Neuer to the far post. Cristiano Ronaldo just reached the ball before it went out of play and cut it back into the danger area, leaving Ozil with a simple tap-in.

However, that almost paid dividends for Bayern when Kroos whipped in a fantastic free kick from wide on the left after 71 minutes. Ramos again failed to clear the danger and was fortunate that Gomez could not keep his instinctive shot below the bar, blazing over from just outside the six-yard box.

The visitors became more conservative as they sought to hold on to the draw but Bayern continued to pile on the pressure and reaped the rewards in the 90th minute. After missing two headers earlier in the game, Gomez remained positive and was on hand to slide the ball into the back of the net after some superb play on the wing by Philipp Lahm, who created the space for a tantalising cross.

The result means that Bayern take a slim advantage into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 25, while Madrid slide to their first Champions League loss of the season.

Real Madrid will have to sweat to win La Liga

After the victory against Zaragoza, the Azulgrana players agree: the La Liga title can be won and they will fight until the end to win it . Víctor Valdés, who saved a penalty, thanked the fans for their support. He also said that he’s always felt loved by Barça fans.

Three vital points won at La Romareda and two more games to go this week in La Liga. Before hosting Getafe at the Camp Nou this Tuesday, the Barça players analysed today’s victory over Zaragoza.

Thiago also talked about the condition of the pitch. However, the handicap wasn’t enough to stop Barça from winning on week 32 of the La Liga, which also happens to be the ninth consecutive victory for Barça in the competition.

Finally, the La Masia graduate sent a clear message to the current league leaders: “Real Madrid will have to sweat if they want the league title.”

Lionel Messi the best player of the world

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi reached another milestone in his amazing career on Saturday when he became the first player to score 60 goals in a season in European top-flight soccer in almost 40 years.

The Argentine World Player of the Year netted twice in a 4-1 victory at Real Zaragoza to notch up 38 La Liga goals in the campaign and his 60th in all competitions. Gerd Mueller was the last player to achieve the feat on the way to scoring 67 goals for Bayern Munich in the 1972-73 season and Messi has at least 10 more matches in which to break the German’s record.

Messi put Barca 2-1 ahead with a powerful strike into the roof of the net shortly before halftime and also netted from the penalty spot in the closing stages at the Romareda. Still only 24, he is already Barca’s leading scorer in official games with 240 goals, beating Cesar Rodriguez’s 60-year-old record of 232 last monthn when he also became the first player to score five in a Champions League match.

Messi netted his first goal for the Catalan club on May 1, 2005 aged 17 years, 10 months and seven days in a La Liga game against Albacete at the Nou Camp after coming through the youth system with contemporaries Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique. This season, as well as his La Liga tally, Messi has 14 goals in the Champions League, two in the King’s Cup, three in the Spanish Super Cup, one in the European Super Cup and has also scored two at the Club World Cup.

He has 11 more goals than Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 37 in La Liga, eight in the Champions League, three in the King’s Cup and one in the Spanish Super Cup.

A very solid performance against AC Milan at the Camp Nou by Barcelona

Barcelona are through to yet another UEFA Champions League semifinal after a very solid performance against AC Milan at the Camp Nou. They were given two penalty kicks, but Milan did not look particularly competent going forward, and there's no reason to discredit their performance. Barcelona were the much better side on the night, and go through with a deserved win by a 3-1 margin.

The first spot kick was given for a clear-cut foul inside the box by Luca Antonini on Lionel Messi. The Blaugranas passed up a couple of shooting opportunities and probably should have scored from open play, but were bailed out by Antonini's foul. Messi stepped up to the penalty spot and converted to give his side the lead.

Barcelona attempted to kill off the game and sit on the ball for an extended period of time, but would be forced to become an ambitious side again in the 32nd minute, when Antonio Nocerino struck for Milan to equalize on the night and put Milan ahead on away goals. Javier Mascherano was responsible for the goal, letting Zlatan Ibrahimović beat him badly, then backing up before an Ibrahimović pass to Nocerino to keep the goal-scorer onside.

The second penalty came in the 41st minute, and unlike the first, was a controversial one. Alessandro Nesta grabbed a fistful of Sergio Busquets' jersey just before a corner kick and the Barcelona midfiedler went down. The referee gave a penalty, and Milan were furious. Though Nesta certainly committed a foul, worse contact before free kicks goes uncalled in almost every game, and Carles Puyol certainly pushed Nesta before he pulled down Busquets. The penalty was given nonetheless, and Messi stepped up to convert his competition-leading 14th Champions League goal.

Even with the two penalties conceded, Milan had a good chance to go through going into halftime. Because of the 0-0 draw at the San Siro, Milan would have gone through with any scoring draw. They couldn't manage it, though, and allowed Barcelona to score again in the 53rd minute. After a shot by Messi was blocked, Andrés Iniesta pounced and put in the rebound to make it 3-1.

At that point, the tie was essentially over. Barcelona didn't allow Milan to fire their way back into it at all; the Rossoneri had just three attempts on goal in the entire game. While the refereeing was very questionable independent of the penalties -- Milan was given seven bookings to Barcelona's two and 19 fouls to Barcelona's nine -- Milan had nothing going forward and made silly mistakes at the back.

Chelsea’s late attempt to qualify for the Champions League

Chelsea’s late attempt to qualify for the Champions League was boosted by a 4-2 win at Aston Villa in the English Premier League on Saturday.

Villa recovered from 2-0 down to 2-2 with 10 minutes remaining but Branislav Ivanovic headed in his second goal of the game and Fernando Torres struck late on his first league goal in six months to give fifth-place Chelsea increased hope of finishing in the top four. Daniel Sturridge put Chelsea ahead in the ninth minute from a rebound after Torres’ close-range effort was blocked by defender Stephen Warnock. Ivanovic doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 51st before James Collins and Eric Lichaj scored for Villa.

Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov watched from the stands, a day after it was announced he has acute leukemia. The Bulgaria international will begin treatment in a London hospital on Monday. Petrov was visibly emotional as he waved from the stands to the fans giving him a standing ovation. It was Chelsea’s sixth win in eight games under interim coach Roberto Di Matteo, although fourth-place Tottenham can restore its lead over its London rival to five points if it beats Swansea on Sunday.

Barcelona 0-0 AC Milan, Final Score

AC Milan are currently somehow being able to keep a clean sheet against Barcelona. Some suspected that this marquee UEFA Champions League quarterfinal could turn into a complete mismatch with Thiago Silva and Ignazio Abate on the sidelines injured, but it's gone well so far. Barcelona look significantly better side, but Milan are able to hold their time of the first leg with a 0-0 draw.

Barcelona had a massive penalty shout in the 16th minute and they were unlucky not to get it. Alexis Sanchez was brought down by Abbiati as he extended for the ball, but the referee waived play on. Abbiati did make significant contact but found no good judgement from refree. Judge for yourself, a penalty should have been given.

Messi set up Xavi Hernandez with a spectacular one-touch give-and-go move in the 26th minute, but Xavi's shot goes straight to the hand of Abbiati. In the 35th minute, Alexis Sanchez found himself one-on-one with Abbiati after a clearance over the top of the defense turned into a scoring opportunity for the Chilean, but Luca Antonini recovered with lucky last tackle.

Barca have all of the possession as expected.

                                       

QPR continue their battle for English Premier League survival

QPR continue their battle for English Premier League survival with a visit from in-form Arsenal on Saturday. Rangers have been mired in relegation trouble for most of the season, and with eight games left they remain in 18th spot with 25 points. Mark Hughes’ side face a daunting run home as well, with Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City all still to come after the Gunners’ visit to Loftus Road this week.

QPR have leaked goals this season, keeping just three clean sheets, and have conceded three goals or more on seven occasions. This does not bode well for them as they prepare to face an Arsenal team who have only failed to score four times in 30 matches this season and boasts the league’s top scorer – Robin van Persie.

The Dutchman has scored 26 times in the Premier League this season, just seven goals fewer than QPR’s entire tally, and scored the winner the last time the two sides met at the Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Eve. Another blow for QPR is the four-match ban handed to striker Djibril Cisse after his ugly tackle on Fraizer Campbell in last week’s 3-1 loss to Sunderland.

However, in a spot of good news for Mark Hughes, top scorer Heidar Helguson is hoping to be fit in time to face Arsenal after recovering from a groin injury. The Iceland striker, who has scored eight goals this season, has been out since January and hopes he can make an impact off the bench on his return to the squad.

Arsenal, who are unbeaten in eight matches in the Premier League, will be without defenders Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, while Jack Wilshere remains on course to return from his ankle injury next month.

On Wednesday May 11, 2011, FC Barcelona drew with Levante and clinched the Spanish Primera Division of La Liga. They celebrated on Levante's home field after the game. It was their third straight Spanish league title. They finished just ahead of rival Real Madrid, who finished in second place for the third year in a row. Barcelona won the title this season in dominating fashion.

After winning the season opener at Racing Santander 3 '" 0, Barcelona was shocked by Hercules at home 0 '" 2. Hercules was promoted to the Primera Division just this season. They will finish near the bottom of the La Liga standings. But this was a memorable win for the newly promoted club. Barcelona fans left the game early. Those who remained expressed their displeasure at the end of the match.

Barcelona have won La Liga, again.

But Barcelona rebounded. They went on a tear, going undefeated in the next 31 games. This included a stretch of 16 straight wins. One of those wins was in Barcelona against powerhouse Real Madrid. In front of 98,000, Barcelona defeated Real 5-0 in a rout. Real entered that match undefeated. There were plenty of highlights in the game, but most of them were for Barcelona. The game turned ugly in the 30th minute when Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo shoved Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. Ronaldo was shown the yellow card for his actions. The win put Barcelona on top of the standings. They never relinquished the top spot after that.

This is Barcelona's fifth title in the last seven seasons. They have a current record of 29 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses. Winning their last two games will give them 98 points in the standings. Barcelona set a record last season with 99 points. No team has ever earned 100 points in a season. This is their 21st title overall. Barcelona have the second most titles next to Real who have 31 titles.

Barcelona now have their eyes on the UEFA Champions League title. They will play Manchester United in the finals on May 28, 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

Manchester United wins its 19th English Championship

Manchester United rallied to tie Blackburn 1-1 and claimed its record 19th English championship on Saturday, May 14, 2011. Wayne Rooney scored the title-clinching goal on a penalty kick in the 73rd minute.

The title victory surpassed arch rival Liverpool's 18 championships, and it fulfilled Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's 1986 vow to knock Liverpool.

In the title-clinching match, they fell behind 1-0, but kept up the pressure on Blackburn and finally broke through for the goal in the 73rd minute by keeping pressure on the Rovers and causing the foul. That's what separated Manchester United from the rest of the Premier League this year. Chelsea, Arsenal, and maybe even Manchester City, were more talented, but United never gave up. That's why the Red Devils won their 19th title; they never quit.

David Beckham plans to play out the final year

David Beckham plans to play out the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011 while continuing to hope he’ll play for England again. Beckham said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday that he doesn’t know what will happen after his contract expires next year.

Beckham has a five-year contract with Major League Soccer worth $32.5 million. He could buy out the final year and leave next month when the playoffs end.

The former England captain would hurry home, though, if England coach Fabio Capello called on him to play for his country again. Beckham is England’s most experienced active player with 115 international appearances. Beckham won’t go on loan to a European team like he did with AC Milan the last two years to keep fit during the MLS offseason, which could dash his hopes of playing for England again.

The Galaxy won’t allow another loan after his Achilles’ tendon injury kept him out of most of this season. The 35-year-old superstar says he is “80 to 85 percent” fit after tearing his left Achilles’ tendon while on loan in March. He was sidelined for six months and missed the World Cup in South Africa.

Beckham will join the Galaxy for its friendly in Newcastle, Australia, next month. His latest injury is one of many that have knocked Beckham out since he arrived to unbelievable hype four years ago, stating his goal was to raise soccer’s profile in the United States.

Manchester United fears Rooney to land with bitter rival Man City

Manchester United fears it will be left with little choice but to sell Wayne Rooney to its big-spending crosstown rival, Manchester City, according to two sources close to the club. United, which defeated Turkish club Bursaspor 1-0 in Champions League play on Wednesday, was rocked to the core by a pre-match statement from Rooney that confirmed that the England forward wants to quit the club.

That leaves Manchester City as the most likely destination, as it is bankrolled by Arabian billionaire Sheikh Mansour and has more readily available cash than any other team in the world. And while other clubs such as English Premier League champion Chelsea and Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona also would be interested, there is a growing belief that Rooney’s preferred option would be a move just down the road.

Rooney also could dramatically increase his salary at City, which last summer made Yaya Toure the highest-paid player in the EPL, enjoying a weekly wage of around $306,903.17 (USD). Rooney was offered $285,915.35 per week to stay at United before contract talks broke down, according to Sky Sports News.

Yet the 24-year-old, who established himself as one of the world’s top players last season before a drastic dip in form, insists that his reasons for moving on are not motivated by money.

Barcelona takes control over their Group

Lionel Messi’s double gave Barcelona a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday in the Champions League despite the hosts’ poor finishing in front of goal. Messi found space outside the area to launch a shot past goalkeeper Johan Wiland into the top corner in the 19th minute. He added the second in injury time after a nervous second half for Barcelona.

Wiland had saved from Messi, David Villa and Daniel Alves to keep the Danish champions in the match at the Camp Nou stadium. But Copenhagen striker Cesar Martin wasted several chances and Dame N’Doye rattled a shot off the crossbar.

Barcelona’s usual precise passing game saw it dominate the first half, but the Danes did not surrender despite going behind early and looked close to equalizing on several occasions before Messi’s fourth goal of the competition.

Messi’s first goal was a spectacular shot high into the net from Andres Iniesta’s pass, while his second was more simple, the Argentina striker controlling Eric Abidal’s errant volley as it came down before poking into goal.

Even with Xavi Hernandez starting on the bench, Barcelona looked ready to roll over Copenhagen as Villa hit the crossbar after five minutes before Wiland stopped Maxwell and then snatched away a hard Messi header inside 17 minutes.

N’Doye missed a header from a well-placed cross in the 48th and then fired a shot past goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto—who was filling in for Victor Valdes— in the 67th but found the crossbar. With Pinto out of position and an open net beckoning, Cesar Martin somehow managed to head the rebound wide.

Cesar Martin had already provoked the ire of coach Stale Solbakken in the 26th when the Brazilian striker surprisingly pulled up from a run thinking he was offside, even though no referee’s whistle was forthcoming.

Only Daniel Alves kept Christian Bolanos from getting Copenhagen on the board in the 74th with a last-ditch sliding tackle. Daniel Alves, one of Barcelona’s standouts, sliced a shot off the far post in the 87th as Barcelona looked to close out and avoid dropping points at home, as it had in the group stage last season in a 1-0 defeat to Rubin Kazan.

Goal machine Ronaldo seals another Real victory

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo made it nine goals in seven games by bagging a brace as Real Madrid's 'Galacticos' defeated 10-man Marseille 3-0 on Tuesday in their first Champions League match in front of their Santiago Bernabeu crowd. It means Real have now won all seven of their matches this season, two in the Champions League and five in the league, and sit top of Group C with a maximum six points.

Real blitzed Marseille with three goals in six minutes; Ronaldo, who now has four Champions League goals in two games, scored two and won the penalty that led to the other. "Cristiano is a player that can make a difference at any moment and is always capable of scoring a goal," said stand-in captain Guti. "We want to try and get through this group as soon as possible by winning it. For now we have a big league game on Sunday against Sevilla who are on a roll but then so are we."

Marquee summer signing Ronaldo opened the scoring on 58 minutes and then won a spot-kick three minutes later which saw Marseille centre-back Souleymane Diawara dismissed for a second yellow card. Kaka converted the penalty kick and Ronaldo struck again in the 64th minute to show why Real paid a world record 94 million euros for his services.

Ronaldo went off shortly after his second goal with a knock to his right ankle which makes him a doubt for Sunday's match with Sevilla. AC Milan's shock 1-0 defeat at home to FC Zurich gives Real a three-point lead in the group and Madrid now have a double-header against Milan starting at home on October 21.

"We are scoring goals and not conceding them, which is always good," said Xabi Alonso. "We have two games against Milan now which will test us. The first game is at home so we have to make that advantage count." Captain Raul, the all-time top-scorer in the Champions League, had to be content with a place on the substitutes' bench as new French star Karim Benzema started against his compatriots.

Ronaldo and Kaka joined Benzema in an attacking trident with Xabi Alonso and Fernando Gago employed in defensive midfield. There were familiar faces to the Real fans in the Marseille line-up as Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze and veteran striker Fernando Morientes returned to their old stomping ground.

Heinze spent two seasons at the club before being let go by incoming coach Manuel Pellegrini in the summer while Morientes won three Champions League titles with Real and was given a warm welcome from the home fans. Off the pitch there was a beefed-up police presence, after Marseille's last visit to Madrid saw them clash with baton-wielding riot police at the Vicente Calderon during a group match with Atletico Madrid.

There was no repeat of those ugly scenes, though, and the match took centre stage although it was a low-key opening from Real, who only had a half-chance from Sergio Ramos to show from the first 20 minutes. Marseille, fourth in their domestic league, had a chance of their own on the quarter-hour mark but Iker Casillas was on his toes and raced out to swipe the ball from visiting captain Mamadou Niang.

On 26 minutes the Senegalese star skipped past Pepe but had to shoot from an acute angle and Casillas was on hand again to save with his chest. It was a warning that appeared to spur Real into action and Benzema went agonisingly close twice. First of all the ex-Lyon striker saw a brilliant overhead kick go just over and was then thwarted in a one-on-one by goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

In the second half Real found their stride and took the lead through a route-one goal, with Pepe's long ball finding Ronaldo who carefully placed a low shot beneath the advancing Mandanda. The former Manchester United man then drew a foul from Diawara which earned the defender a second yellow card and allowed Kaka to put Real 2-0 up with a confidently taken penalty. Ronaldo continued his rich vein of form in front of goal with an easy tap-in to wrap up the game after slick inter-play between Benzema and Kaka.

Ronaldo, Kaka give Real 2-0 win at Villarrea

A superb early goal from Cristiano Ronaldo and a second-half Kaka penalty gave Real Madrid a 2-0 win at 10-man Villarreal in La Liga on Wednesday. Real paid around 160 million euros ($236 million) for the Portuguese winger and Brazilian playmaker in the close season, including a world record 94 million euros for Ronaldo, and the gulf in class was evident from the start.

The home side were rocked back in the second minute when Ronaldo sped down the left wing, cut inside and struck with a low shot from just outside the penalty area for his fifth league goal in four matches. Villarreal defender Gonzalo Rodriguez was sent off 10 minutes before the break, earning a second yellow card for catching Kaka in the chest with a reckless flying kick.

Kaka stepped up to double Real's lead in the 73rd minute when the referee ruled Angel Lopez had handled Marcelo's cross and Gonzalo Higuain and Ronaldo both went close as Real pressed for a third. Their fourth win out of four put them level on 12 points with champions Barcelona, who thrashed Racing Santander 4-1 on Tuesday thanks to two goals from Lionel Messi and one apiece from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gerard Pique.

Ronaldo scored inside the first minute in Sunday's 5-0 rout of promoted Xerez and he said his early goal on Wednesday had thrown Villarreal off their stride. "They are difficult to beat at home but we managed it and after Kaka's goal we were more in control," he told reporters. At the Calderon, Atletico Madrid conceded an equaliser in the 89th minute to draw 2-2 with Almeria, increasing the pressure on coach Abel Resino with his side on just two points from four matches.

Athletic Bilbao missed their chance to make it four wins out of four when they lost 1-0 at promoted Tenerife and Manu del Moral scored twice and Pedro Leon curled in a stunning freekick as Getafe came from a goal down to beat visiting Valencia 3-1. Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan missed a first-half penalty for Atletico before Almeria took the lead in the 26th minute when Albert Crusat found space on the left and crossed for Pablo Piatti to finish past Roberto.

Cleber Santana equalised and a defensive error let Forlan to give Atletico the lead 10 minutes into the second half. Piatti then grabbed his second to secure a point for Hugo Sanchez's side and Atletico's players and staff were whistled from the pitch by their disgruntled fans.

Messi pushes formidable Barca to the summit

Champions Barcelona moved back to the top of the Spanish table with a thumping 4-1 win at Racing Santander on Tuesday to maintain their perfect start to the season. Argentine Lionel Messi scored a brace, including a brilliant solo goal, making him the league's top-scorer with five goals while Zlatan Ibrahimovic continued his record of scoring in every game and now has four to his name.

It is a maximum 12 points from four games for Barcelona representing their best start since the 1997/98 season. Real Madrid can move level on points with Barca if they can win at Villarreal on Wednesday. Barca blitzed Atletico Madrid at the weekend with four goals inside the first 41 minutes and did the trick again in Santander establishing a three-goal lead by the 26th minute.

A destructive six-minute spell saw Ibrahimovic open the scoring in the 20th minute to maintain his goal a game record. Three minutes later Messi exchanged passes with Xavi before curling into the corner for his fourth goal of the season. Gerard Pique, getting a reputation for a goalscoring defender, netted the third on 26 minutes after a great touch from Ibrahimovic.

It could have been more in a one-sided first-half with Ibrahimovic hitting the post and Messi having a goal ruled out for offside. Ibrahimovic had to go off in the second half because of a twisted ankle with Pedro coming on in in his place. Messi then wriggled past three defenders to score his second goal of the game before Oscar Serrano netted a consolation goal.

Sevilla notched a third successive win to join Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao on nine points after defeating Real Mallorca 2-0 at home on Tuesday. Mallorca could have gone top of the table with a victory but Sevilla were a cut above and took the spoils thanks to first-half goals from Sebastian Squillaci and Argentine Diego Perotti.

Sevilla welcomed back Brazilian international Luis Fabiano but it was French centre-back Squillaci who surprisingly opened the scoring after 17 minutes. It was a goal made in France with Julien Escude heading the ball across goal for compatriot Squillaci to head in off the underside of the crossbar. The second goal was created brilliantly by Fabiano and Jesus Navas who crossed for Perotti to head home from close range.

Mallorca had a golden chance to make it 2-1 close to half-time but Fernando Varela was foiled by Andres Palop. Brazilian Adriano almost made it 3-0 minutes after the interval but a last-ditch block denied him a brilliant solo goal. Sevilla climb to third with their third consecutive victory while Mallorca lie sixth after their first defeat of the campaign.

"We were 2-0 up and could have scored two more but then we relaxed," said Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez. "We can't afford to do that because games can last 90 or sometimes 95 minutes and you have to play right until the end."

Real Madrid's expensive 'Galacticos' face their hardest test so far with a trip to Villarreal on Wednesday as coach Manuel Pellegrini goes back to his old club. "It is a joy to go back to Villarreal," said Pellegrini. "There were five years at a great club and I met some fantastic people. The fans always treated me well during my time there and I hope I get a good reception."

Pellegrini has guided Real to three straight victories while his successor at Villarreal Ernesto Valverde has yet to win a game. Atletico Madrid, another team looking for a top four spot, have also had a nervy start with just one point from nine ahead of Wednesday's home match against Almeria. Coach Abel Resino got the dreaded vote of confidence from Atletico president Enrique Cerezo this week following the 5-2 humiliation by Barcelona over the weekend.

Rampant Chelsea make it six in a row

Chelsea extended their 100 percent record under Carlo Ancelotti as goals from Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba gave them a comfortable 3-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The win was enough to lift them back above Manchester United to the summit of the Premier League, three points ahead of their rivals, who had briefly gone top with a 4-3 win over Manchester City earlier in the day.

Tottenham were second best but left having lost more than three points as defenders Ledley King and Sebastien Bassong both suffered serious-looking injuries. Drogba, along with Jose Bosingwa, had returned to the home line-up following midweek Champions League suspension, with Branislav Ivanovic and Salomon Kalou making way.

Chelsea almost opened the scoring in the eighth minute when right-back Bosingwa latched on to Ballack's header and fired in a shot from the edge of the area. Tottenham goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, the ex-Chelsea man, was relieved to see the ball rebound back into play off top of his near post. Jermain Defoe should have given Tottenham the lead three minutes later though when he was played through by Wilson Palacios's fine ball.

The England marksman already has five Premier League goals to his name this season but this time was denied by the boot of Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper. Cech was needed again to deflect away Tom Huddlestone's long-ranger, which caught him by surprise, and Jermaine Jenas fired wide by the most slender of margins from the next attack. Chelsea's reply was a header from Frank Lampard that wasn't far away either and an effort from Nicolas Anelka that fizzed into the side-netting.

The home side's appeals for a penalty when Vedran Corluka and Ballack collided in the box were ignored by referee Howard Webb but the reprieve was short-lived for the Croatia defender as Chelsea scored seconds later. Drogba fired in a cross from the right that was met by Cole's diving header, with the left-back having stolen in ahead of Corluka.

The second half began with Lampard scuffing a good chance wide but there was trouble for Tottenham when centre-back King's already-damaged knee failed him and he was replaced by Alan Hutton. Webb had another decision to make when Ricardo Carvalho challenged Robbie Keane in the Chelsea box. Again he ruled no penalty should be awarded although the defender appeared to clip Keane.

Chelsea doubled their lead through Ballack straight afterwards. Anelka's cross was chested down by Drogba and Cudicini could not hold on to the low shot that followed. Lampard was first to the loose ball and set up the German for a tap-in. Further disaster for Corluka and Cudicini followed when Cole's long ball over the top sent Drogba clear of the Croatian, who had switched to centre-back in King's absence.

Out came Cudicini only for Corluka to divert the ball past him and Drogba collect it for another tap-in. Cudicini almost cost Tottenham another when he let slip a shot from John Obi Mikel, who had come on for Ballack, but the Italian just managed to claw it away before it trundled over the line. Yet there was further misery for Spurs when Bassong fell heavily and had to be stretchered off, a fate that then befell Drogba five minutes before the end.