LONDON: Manchester United needed a controversial winner from Javier Hernandez to beat nine-man Chelsea and cut the deficit at the top of the Premier League to just one point.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored twice as Barcelona and Real Madrid registered 5-0 away wins in La Liga, while Bayern Munich’s perfect start to the Bundesliga season was ended at home by victorious Bayer Leverkusen.
ENGLAND
Mexico striker Javier Hernandez secured a 3-2 victory for Manchester United at Premier League leaders Chelsea after a game of high drama.
Hernandez looked offside as he poked home the winner in the 75th minute after Chelsea had had Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres sent off. Chelsea later made a complaint against the referee over “inappropriate language.”
Third-placed Manchester City, below United on goal difference, are also a point behind Chelsea after they beat Swansea City 1-0 on Saturday thanks to a goal from Carlos Tevez.
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez had an injury-time winner wrongly ruled out for offside in a 2-2 draw with local rivals Everton.
SPAIN
Lionel Messi scored twice as leaders Barcelona crushed Rayo Vallecano 5-0 away to maintain their unbeaten start to La Liga this season.
Messi moved on to 301 senior career goals for club and country, while David Villa, Cesc Fabregas and Xavi netted the others to put Barca on 25 points from nine games.
Tito Vilanova’s side were ahead of unbeaten Atletico Madrid on goal difference after Radamel Falcao scored in a 3-1 home win over Osasuna that made it eight straight league victories for Diego Simeone’s side.Champions Real Madrid were eight points back in fourth, behind third-placed Malaga who drew 0-0 at Espanyol, after a 5-0 rout of Real Mallorca when Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo both bagged braces.
GERMANY
Bayern Munich’s 100 percent start to the domestic season ended in a surprise 2-1 defeat by visiting Bayer Leverkusen.
Sidney Sam scored the winner with a deflected 87th minute header that ended Bayern’s record eight-game winning streak.
The Bavarians, who had not lost to Leverkusen in Munich since 1989, are still four points clear at the top on 24 points with Schalke 04 climbing to second after their narrow 1-0 win over Nuremberg.
Champions Borussia Dortmund beat Freiburg 2-0 to move up to 15 points in fourth, four points behind third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt who slumped to a 2-1 defeat at VfB Stuttgart.
ITALY
Titleholders and leaders Juventus made it 25 points out of a possible 27 after a hugely controversial 1-0 win at 10-man Catania.
Arturo Vidal scored a dubious winner after Catania had an apparently legitimate goal wrongly disallowed for offside in the first half.
Juve extended their unbeaten Serie A run to 48 games, stretching back to the last match of the season before last.
Marek Hamsik gave Napoli a 1-0 win at home to Chievo to keep them three points behind in second with Inter Milan one point further back in third after their 3-1 win at Bologna.
FRANCE
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 10th Ligue 1 goal of the season to give Paris St. Germain a 1-0 win at bottom side Nancy that sent them three points clear at the top of the standings.
Toulouse moved up to second thanks to a 3-1 home win against Stade Brest while Olympique Marseille dropped to third after their home game against fourth-placed Olympique Lyon was called off because of strong winds.
Girondins Bordeaux suffered their first league defeat of the season when they were beaten 3-1 at Bastia.
NETHERLANDS
Italian Graziano Pelle struck in the final minute to salvage a 2-2 draw for Feyenoord in their clash with arch-rivals Ajax Amsterdam.
Dusan Tadic was on target for leaders Twente Enschede, who won 1-0 at RKC Waalwijk to stay one point clear of second-placed PSV Eindhoven, who came from behind to beat PEC Zwolle 2-1.
AZ Alkmaar struck late to inflict a first defeat of the season on third-placed Vitesse Arnhem.
PORTUGAL
Portuguese champions Porto came from behind to beat Estoril 2-1 away to stay level pegging on points at the top of the table with Benfica, who eased past Gil Vicente 3-0.
The fierce rivals are locked together on 17 points after seven matches, three ahead third-placed Braga.
Porto trailed 1-0 at halftime but Portugal international Silvestre Varela and in-form Colombia striker Jackson Martinez scored in quick succession early in the second half.
Benfica strolled past Gil Vicente thanks to an early header from Brazilian striker Lima, followed by strikes from Portuguese duo Luisinho and Andre Gomes.
SWEDEN
Malmo took advantage of slip-ups by title rivals Haecken and AIK Stockholm to go top of the Swedish League after managing a 3-1 win at home to Djurgarden.
NORWAY
Norwegian champions Molde took a big step toward retaining their title with a 2-0 win over rivals Rosenborg to open a three-point gap at the top of the table with three games left to play.
SCOTLAND
Leaders Celtic suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock, who won at Parkhead for the first time since 1955.
United scrapes home, Barca goes wild
