Barca crush Getafe 6-1
Lionel Messi notched his 35th league goal of the season as
an understrength Barcelona strolled to a crushing 6-1 home win against Getafe
that put them 12 points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga on
Sunday.
Alexis Sanchez and David Villa made the most of a rare place
in the starting lineup with goals either side of Messi's strike and Andres
Iniesta, Cristian Tello and Gerard Pique were also on the scoresheet as a
rampant Barca racked up a 20th victory in 23 matches to move on to 62 points.
Atletico were upset 2-1 at Rayo Vallecano in Sunday's late
kick-off and stay on 50 points, four ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, who
thrashed Sevilla 4-1 at the Bernabeu on Saturday thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo
treble.
"We are not going to repeat all the praise we have
showered on him (Messi)," Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said
in an interview with Spanish TV broadcaster Canal Plus.
"Alexis and Villa gave us a lot of speed and created
spaces and showed they are also capable of putting the ball away," the
former Barca and Spain goalkeeper added.
"Some of the players who don't feature so often were
very impressive."
Barca's interim coach Jordi Roura, standing in for Tito
Vilanova who is recovering from throat surgery, rested several key players for
Getafe's visit to the Nou Camp, including Spain trio Pedro, Cesc Fabregas and
Sergio Busquets.
They were also missing playmaker Xavi through injury, with
Thiago Alcantara and Iniesta running the show in midfield in the absence of
their Spain team mate.
Unusually, Barca had been handed the midday kick-off slot
but the unfamiliar starting time failed to dampen the players' hunger for
victory in front of more than 85,000 fans thronging the giant arena and
enjoying the sunshine.
Alexis struck in the sixth minute, Messi made it 2-0 seven
minutes later and Villa put the game well beyond Getafe, who are 12th on 29
points, with a third just before the hour.
As Getafe started to wilt, Messi surged forward and laid the
ball off for substitute Tello to curl in a fourth 11 minutes from time before a
mistake from Jordi Alba let in Alvaro Vazquez to pull a goal back for the
visitors in the 83rd minute.
Nigeria Show
Nigeria ended almost two decades without success and
returned to their role as a continental heavyweight after edging Burkina Faso
1-0 in the African Nations Cup final on Sunday.
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Sunday Mba's volleyed goal five minutes before halftime
ended the fairytale run of the Burkinabe, who had exceeded all expectation by
advancing to their first final.
Nigeria proved too strong in the deciding match for the
workman-like Burkinabe, who were out-muscled and out-sprinted at Soccer City
and never looked like repeating the heroics that got them to the final.
Mba's goal came from a botched clearance that fell perfectly
for him but he conjured up a piece of brilliance by flicking the ball over the
head of defender Bakary Kone and then slamming it into the net with goalkeeper
Daouda Diakite rooted to his line.
It was one of just a few clear chances on the night, most of
them for Nigeria who looked a class above their game but outgunned opponents.
Nigeria, whose coach Stephen Keshi became the second man to
win the Nations Cup as both coach and player, might well have added two or
three more too the score with a little extra care in front of goal.
Brown Ideye had chances just after halftime and again with
eight minutes to go but overran the ball and Ahmed Musa slipped at a crucial
moment when he was put in the clear by Victor Moses.
Moses was also guilty of squandering opportunities on the
counter attack as Burkina Faso were kept pegged back in their own half.
John Obi Mikel in midfield ensured Nigeria had a tight grip
on the game, but there were half-chances for the Burkinabe and one moment when
they might have equalised when Wilfried Sanou shot a snap effort just across
the face of goal in the 73rd minute.
Burkina made a gallant effort near the end to try and snatch
an equaliser, as they had when the two teams met in the group phase at the
start of the tournament.
"You don't want to know what was going through my mind
in the closing minutes," said Keshi, whose team cleverly closed out the
game.
"Perhaps we were tired but I don't want to make
excuses," said Burkina Faso's coach Paul Put told reporters.
"I saw my team fighting to the last minute, I'm very
proud, all Burkinabe can be proud of these players."
The Nations Cup victory was Nigeria's third, following on
previous success in 1980 and in 1994, when Keshi was captain.
They now play in the Confederation Cup in Brazil where they
will face Oceania champions Tahiti, South American champions Uruguay and world
champions Spain.
Bale brace boosts Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal win-Fifa world cup
The unstoppable Gareth Bale scored twice in Tottenham's 2-1
win over Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, while rivals
Chelsea and Arsenal also won the Champions League season points race.
Chelsea remained third in the standings, one point ahead of
Spurs, after a 4-1 victory against third bottom Wigan Athletic, while
10-Arsenal player Jack Wilshere, has lost to injury, but to beat Sunderland 1-0
away win thanks to a goal from Santi Cazorla.
Arsenal beat Everton in the fifth, David Moyes side visit
leaders Manchester United on Sunday. Second place Manchester City States can
cut the benefits to six points if they win at Southampton later Saturday.
Basement side Queens Park Rangers suffered a serious blow in
a 4-1 defeat against Swansea City, but the fourth lower value could extend the
gap to six points with a 2-1 loss to Stoke City. Mid-table Norwich City and
Fulham managed a goalless draw.
The Spurs midfielder Wales Bale scored his fourth and fifth
goals in four games for club and country again to inspire almost singlehandedly
north London the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot.
"Newcastle were on a good run of form, so it was always
a tough game," Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas told the BBC.
"We have stepped up in the second half and the team
showed to take the three points. Both sides had chances. We showed more
determination in the second half and took control."
Bale struck first with a dipping free-kick after five
minutes with James Perch otherwise jump on the wall of the visitors before
Lewis Holtby lost three chances to increase the lead.
Newcastle striker Yoan Gouffran French then took his first
Premier League goal since signing last month, when his effort was deflected in
the middle of the first half, but later, he needed oxygen to a shin injury and
was replaced.
Spurs have their way easily and got introduced with Togo
striker Emmanuel Adebayor only returned from the African Cup of Nations on
Friday despite his team not eliminated last Sunday.
Pressure side of the house off against a team who had won
their last two games, as Bale raced through and finished with aplomb on 78
minutes before missing a simple way for a hat-trick in injury time paid.
Arsenal duo Theo Walcott and Wilshere plays in England's 2-1
victory over Brazil in a friendly match on Wednesday reassembled for Cazorla
35th Minute winner for Sunderland.
JENKINSON EXCLUSION
Londoners were quite dominant in the first half, but the
situation has been off after the break with midfielder Wilshere and defender Carl
Jenkinson limped changed sent for two bookings after 62 minutes.
Arsene Wenger's side held late in the face of pressure, but
Chelsea Rafael Benitez has avoided the nerves at home to Wigan courageous.
Ramires completed beauty after a good pass from Fernando
Torres for the opening 23 minutes and Eden Hazard has doubled 11 minutes in the
second half.
Shaun Maloney pulled one back after 58 minutes, but England
midweek scorer Frank Lampard has reiterated why most Chelsea supporters, they
offered a new contract, he will refer the score 3 - a. Marko Marin added fourth
in stoppage time.
QPR, four points off the ground, were never in the game with
Swansea striker Loic Remy are absent due to injury and fans appalled at their
weak display.
Cut-price Michu Spanish striker continued his sensational
season Premier League debut with two more goals to take into account in the 4-1
beating the season 15
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