LONDON: An unhappy Jose Mourinho criticized his Real Madrid players after a 1-0 defeat by Sevilla left them with four points from four games to trail arch-rivals Barcelona by eight early in the La Liga season.
Real are not the only European big guns to make a stuttering start. AC Milan slumped to their second successive 1-0 defeat at their own San Siro stadium, this time against Atalanta, and have taken only three points from their first three Serie A games.
SPAIN
Real Madrid’s stuttering start to the domestic campaign continued when they lost 1-0 at Sevilla to slip eight points behind leaders Barcelona, 4-1 winners at Getafe.
Sevilla midfielder Piotr Trochowski netted from a corner in the second minute of a bruising and bad-tempered battle at the Sanchez Pizjuan and Real coach Jose Mourinho blasted his players after the game for their poor performance.
Lionel Messi came off the bench to score twice and help Barca maintain their perfect record under new coach Tito Vilanova, with Adriano and substitute David Villa netting either side of the World Player of the Year’s double.
Barca are top with 12 points from four games, two ahead of second-placed Malaga, 3-1 winners at home to Levante. Real have four points in 11th.
ENGLAND
The only 100 percent record left in the Premier League ended as Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers in a match in which the main talking point was Anton Ferdinand’s refusal to shake the hand of Chelsea skipper John Terry.
Terry was cleared in July of racially abusing Ferdinand in the same fixture last season.
Manchester United moved into second place with a 4-0 thrashing of Wigan Athletic, Paul Scholes among the scorers on his 700th appearance for the club.
Arsenal roared up to third with a 6-1 defeat of promoted Southampton who are still without a point, Gervinho scoring twice for the Gunners who benefited from two own goals. Champions Manchester City were held 1-1 at Stoke City.
ITALY
Lazio, Napoli, champions Juventus and Sampdoria all won to maintain their 100 percent records after three games.
Lazio, making an excellent start under new coach Vladimir Petkovic, won 3-1 at Chievo thanks to two outstanding goals by Brazilian midfielder Hernanes who was involved in the other goal scored by Germany forward Miroslav Klose.
Juventus came from behind to beat Genoa 3-1 away and Napoli defeated Parma by the same score. Sampdoria saw off Pescara 3-2 but have only eight points as they started with a one-point deduction over the Calcioscommesse match-fixing scandal.
A dismal AC Milan slumped to their second successive 1-0 defeat at the San Siro, this time against Atalanta, and AS Roma squandered a 2-0 lead at home to Bologna and were beaten 3-2.
GERMANY
Bayern Munich and promoted Eintracht Frankfurt are the only teams with nine points from three games.
Bayern maintained their 100 percent record with a 3-1 win over Mainz 05, Mario Mandzukic, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos scoring the goals, and Eintracht beat 10-man Hamburg SV 3-2.
That defeat left Hamburg with no points, alongside Hoffenheim at the foot of the table.
Champions Borussia Dortmund beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 with goals from Mats Hummels and Polish pair Jakub Blaszczykowski and Robert Lewandowski.
FRANCE
Olympique Marseille extended their perfect record when they won 1-0 at Nancy to stay top with 15 points from five games, their best ever league start.
Olympique Lyon are second, two points adrift, after they defeated Ajaccio 2-0 home.
Lorient are third after Alain Traore scored two outstanding goals to help his side, reduced to nine-men shortly after the break, win 2-1 at neighbors Stade Rennes.
Unbeaten Paris St. Germain warmed up in style for their Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev as they defeated Toulouse 2-0 to climb up to fourth.
Champions Montpellier suffered another blow when they lost 3-1 at promoted Stade Reims, four days before their debut in the Champions League against Arsenal. They lie 16th in the 20-team standings on four points.
NETHERLANDS
Twente Enschede thrashed lowly Willem II Tilburg 6-2 to stay top and maintain their perfect start after five matches.
Vitesse Arnhem registered their fourth straight win by beating Groningen 3-0 to sit two points behind the leaders, while Ajax Amsterdam beat RKC Waalwijk 2-0 to remain third.
Utrecht had two players sent off but still stunned PSV Eindhoven with a 1-0 home win, PSV’s second defeat this season.
