European soccer sum-up

Updated: 2011-09-26 15:52

(Agencies)

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LONDON - Inter Milan, AS Roma and champions AC Milan all notched their first Serie A wins of the season at the weekend.

Manchester United dropped their first points in the English Premier League, Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich won their sixth game in a row while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo bagged hat-tricks in Spain.

European soccer sum-up
Inter Milan's Lucio (L) celebrates near team mate Esteban Cambiasso (R) after scoring against Bologna during their Serie A soccer match at the Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna Sept 24, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

ITALY

Inter Milan won 3-1 at Bologna to give coach Claudio Ranieri a winning debut as he took over from Gian Piero Gasperini, sacked after five games.

Clarence Seedorf's early goal gave AC Milan a 1-0 win over bottom club Cesena and AS Roma won by the same score at Parma.

Juventus and Udinese, who both drew, lead with eight points from four games and are both unbeaten. Juventus held Catania 1-1 and Udinese played out a goalless stalemate at Cagliari. 

European soccer sum-up
Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates a goal against Atletico Madrid during their Spanish First division soccer league match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Sept 24, 2011. [Photo/Agencies] 

SPAIN    

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both netted trebles in easy wins for Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Real fell behind to neighbours Rayo Vallecano after 12 seconds, but Ronaldo's hat-trick, which included two penalties, and strikes from Gonzalo Higuain, substitute Karim Benzema and teenage defender Raphael Varane gave Jose Mourinho's side a 6-2 victory.

Champions Barca thrashed Atletico Madrid 5-0 with World Player of the Year Messi's typically brilliant treble coming after David Villa had opened the scoring and Atletico defender Joao Miranda had diverted the ball into his own net.

Barca are second on 11 points from five matches, with Real fifth on ten. After early pace-setters Valencia lost 1-0 at Sevilla, surprise leaders Real Betis can make it five wins out of five and extend their advantage to four points by winning at Getafe on Monday.

European soccer sum-up
Manchester United's Javier Hernandez walks off injured during their English Premier League soccer match against Stoke City in Stoke, northern England Sept 24, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

ENGLAND

Manchester United dropped their first points of the season when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Saturday but they stayed top of the Premier League on goal difference from Manchester City.

Both teams have won five and drawn one of their opening six matches and are level with 16 points after City beat Everton 2-0 at home.

Nani put United ahead at Stoke before Peter Crouch equalised with a header for his first goal for the club, while at the Etihad Stadium second half substitutes Mario Balotelli and James Milner scored for City.

Chelsea stayed third with a 4-1 win over Swansea City where Fernando Torres both scored and was sent off, while Newcastle United maintained their good start with Demba Ba scoring a hat-trick in their 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers.

European soccer sum-up
Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Mueller (L-R) of Bayern Munich celebrate during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Munich Sept 24, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

GERMANY

Bayern Munich won their sixth consecutive league game, beating Bayer Leverkusen 3-0, to stay top of the Bundesliga.

Thomas Mueller and Daniel van Buyten scored in the first 20 minutes to put Bayern in control and Arjen Robben, returning from injury, completed the scoring in the last minute.

Bayern have 18 points from six games, two ahead of Werder Bremen and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Claudio Pizarro scored twice, including an injury-time winner, as Werder squeezed past nine-man Hertha Berlin 2-1. Moenchengladbach beat Nuremberg 1-0.

European soccer sum-up
Olympique Lyon's Michel Bastos celebrates after scoring against Girondins Bordeaux during their French Ligue 1 soccer match at the Gerland stadium in Lyon Sept 24, 2011. [Photo/Agencies] 

FRANCE

Paris St Germain and Olympique Lyon seized control of the Ligue 1 standings with convincing wins.

PSG, helped by a brilliant two-goal performance by Argentine midfielder Javier Pastore, beat Montpellier 3-0 away while Lyon defeated Girondins Bordeaux 3-1 at home thanks to a Bafetimbi Gomis double.

Both teams have 17 points from eight games with an identical record (14 goals for, 7 against), with Toulouse, 1-0 winners over Nancy, third on goal difference.

Former England international Joe Cole, on loan from Liverpool, scored a superb goal but Lille still conceded a 1-1 home draw against Lorient.

PORTUGAL

Argentine Nicolas Gaitan's late equaliser earned Benfica a 2-2 draw at Porto in a thrilling 'classico' that left the two rivals level at the top of the Portuguese Premier League with 14 points from six games.

Europa League runners-up Braga made the most of the result and caught up with Porto and Benfica, beating Nacional 2-0 at home. Former Benfica striker Nuno Gomes tapped in the first and Brazilian centre back Paulo Vinicius the second.

Sporting eased past Vitoria Setubal 3-0 at home and closed the gap on the leaders to three points. Dutch midfielder Stijn Schaars scored an early opener and then compatriot Ricky van Wolfswinkel went on to grab a brace.

NETHERLANDS

AZ Alkmaar came from behind to beat Feyenoord 2-1, with a late winner from Brett Holman, to move two points clear at the top.

Luuk de Jong headed home a late equaliser to earn second placed Twente Enschede a 1-1 draw at Ajax Amsterdam, while Dries Mertens hit four as PSV Eindhoven thrashed Roda JC Kerkrade 7-1.