 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Lionel Messi's knack for finding the net continued
Ibrahimovic blasted Paris into record books
SPAIN
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez struck for Barcelona who came from behind to win 2-1 in their top of the table clash against nine-man Atletico Madrid and move three points clear in La Liga.
Atletico started stronger and went ahead through Koke before Barca clicked into gear and began to find holes in the visitors' defence. Messi equalised and then in-form Suarez hit his 31st goal in as many games.
Atletico’s hopes of getting back into the game were hit by red cards for Filipe Luis and Diego Godin.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit his 35th hat-trick for third-placed Real Madrid as they swept Espanyol aside 6-0 but remain four points off Barca who also have also played a game fewer.
ITALY
Titleholders Juventus remained two points off the pace in second spot by sweeping aside Chievo 4-0, their 12th win in a row, while Napoli stayed top when they thumped Empoli 5-1, with Gonzalo Higuain scoring his 22nd goal of the season.
AC Milan's Alex, Carlos Bacca and M'baye Niang secured an emphatic 3-0 win over neighbours Inter Milan, who missed a penalty when trailing 1-0, in the derby at San Siro.
GERMANY
Bayern Munich stayed eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga when they beat relegation-threatened Hoffenheim 2-0 with Robert Lewandowski scoring the goals to take his tally to 19.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the league's leading scorer with 20 goals, also scored both goals as second-placed Borussia Dortmund beat Ingolstadt by the same score.
FRANCE
Paris St Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice in the last half hour to give the runaway Ligue 1 leaders a 2-0 win at St Etienne.
PSG, who have won 20 and drawn three of their 23 games, extended their lead to a mammoth 24 points after second-placed AS Monaco lost 3-0 at Angers.
ENGLAND
There were no FA Cup fourth-round upsets with Aston Villa and Stoke City the only top-flight sides to fall, beaten 4-0 and 1-0 repectively by Premier League rivals Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Alexis Sanchez hit the winner for holders Arsenal in a 2-1 home victory over Burnley, Brazilian Oscar grabbed a hat-trick in Chelsea's 5-1 romp at Milton Keynes Dons while Nigerian teenager Kelechi Inheanacho also hit a treble for Manchester City in their drubbing of Villa.
Third-tier Peterborough twice came from behind to force a replay with West Bromwich Albion after a 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns.
