Barca, Messi magical; Real miserable

A brace from Lionel Messi led Barcelona to a 3-0 victory over Sevilla on Saturday and a six-point lead at the top of the Spanish league as Real Madrid crashed, 3-1, at city-rivals Getafe. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola had told his players beforehand to show commitment and it was needed against a Sevilla side who battled for every ball. The game was played at a frantic pace with few clear chances but it was Barcelona who made the most of theirs with Messi once again the outstanding player.

In the opening minutes Luis Fabiano shot over from inside the box for Sevilla but after 20 minutes it was Samuel Eto'o who opened the scoring latching onto a loose ball in the area and firing home. Fabiano went close again and Frederic Kanoute felt unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after tumbling in the box following a challenge from Gerard Pique. But the clearest chance came later for Kanoute, who could only hit the crossbar after beating the offside trap.

In the second half, both sides were reduced to shots from distance before Messi took centre stage. The Argentine ran onto a ball from midfield and volleyed into the corner from 25 yards to extend Barca's lead after 78 minutes. He completed his brace in injury time, rounding the keeper before slotting home. Sevilla's night was made worse by the controversial dismissal of Fabiano for elbowing Sergio Busquets.

Earlier, a convincing 3-1 victory by Getafe piled the pressure on Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster whose side have lost two out their last three league games. "It was not a painful defeat because from the start of the game it was clear that it would have been very difficult to win," he said. "A lot of things happened in the match and at no time did we have the feeling that we could win. Getafe were superior and they produced a spectacular game."

Schuster was forced into fielding a makeshift team with seven players unavailable. Real got off to the worst possible start conceding a goal after three minutes with Juan Angel Albin converting a Jaime Gavilan cross. Getafe, brimming with confidence following their draw against Barcelona a week ago, continued to take the game to Real, whose outlook further deteriorated with Wesley Sneijder and Miguel Torres both limping off before half-time.

Fernando Gago grazed the crossbar but Real were unable to take a hold of the game. Only a few minutes after the interval Albin knocked in his second goal, slipping the ball past Iker Casillas. Real were given hope when Javier Saviola finished well inside the area, after Juan Guti had won back possession, but rather than building on the goal, Madrid soon lost impetus and it was Getafe who looked more likely to score again. With nine minutes to go Ikechukwu Uche secured the win for Getafe with a clinical finish after the hard work had been done by his strike partner Albin.

On Sunday, Villarreal and Valencia will look for wins to boost their championship chances after dropping points in recent weeks. Villarreal travel to bottom-placed Recreativo Huelva looking to end a four-match run in all competitions without a win but their cause is not helped with seven players missing. That includes influential midfielder Marcos Senna, who limped off against Manchester United last Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League. Valencia have lost their last two home matches against Racing Santander and Sporting Gijon. They face a Real Betis team which has won their last three games away from home.

At the other end of the table, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao occupy the other two relegation places above Recreativo and they face Malaga and Numancia, respectively

Real Madrid manager Bernd Schuster's future uncertain after Getafe defeat

Though it still leaves the defending champions second in La Liga table trailing Barcelona by six points, rumours that only wins could save his job have been rife for a few weeks now.

Adamant he has no reason to fear for his job, Schuster said in a press conference last week that he has the club's full support despite admitting that he knew from the start of the match against Getafe that his side would lose.

"I have not thought about going because there is no reason to," he said. "I believe I have the support of the club and that is all I need to remain calm and to continue doing my job.

"The loss does not hurt because from the very first minute, we could see that it would be difficult. A lot of things happened during the game, but at no point did we feel as though we could win. It does not hurt. Losses only hurt when you deserve to win.

"We are going through a bad phase, but that is normal in football. We have to keep going because these things can happen at any time."

His lacklustre effort in trying to justify the current situation at the club will no doubt fuel Real fan's calls for him to be sacked.

Along with their bad run of form in the Spanish league, Real were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by second division side Real Union.

Suggestions have been made of late that the club were looking to bring Rafael Benitez in to replace Schuster - but these rumours have been quashed by a report in the News of the world which claims that Benitez will reject the Spanish side for the third time in a bid to extend his deal with Liverpool.

Kaka - Beckham wil stay

Milan star Kaka has told Sky Sports News that David Beckham will want to remain at the club.

Beckham arrives in Italy in January on a short-term loan deal from Los Angeles Galaxy in order to keep up his fitness during the European season - which would enhance his England chances.

The MLS club have insisted they will not allow Beckham to remain at Milan beyond March - when their own season begins.

However, in conversation with Sky Sports News' chief news reporter Bryan Swanson - Kaka said that he is convinced Beckham will stay at the San Siro.

"He is coming in January and I think when he comes here, he will see what Milan is," he told Sky Sports News.

"I think and he can stay a bit more, until the end of the season and who knows after that."

The Brazilian star is looking forward to playing with Beckham.

"I like him, he is very positive," he continued.

"He has a lot of talent with the ball. Beckham will be very nice to play with and I am very happy to play with him."

Ferguson yet to make Berbatov derby decision

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Alex Ferguson has said he will make a late decision on whether to include record signing Dimitar Berbatov in the derby match against Manchester City on Sunday.

The forward has missed Manchester United's goalless draws at Aston Villa and Villarreal since suffering a hamstring on international duty with Bulgaria.

Berbatov was set to return to training on Thursday and United manager Ferguson was keen to monitor his progress on Friday and Saturday before deciding whether to include him at Eastlands.

Berbatov has never had hamstring problems before and his Scottish boss is wary about exacerbating the problem.

"With hamstrings you've got to be careful and it's not an easy one," Ferguson told reporters here Thursday.

"He's never had a hamstring injury before and we have to judge whether it's wise to use him on Sunday or put him on the bench and that depends on how he does over the next couple of days."

Ferguson has, however, hinted that Paul Scholes could return to action next week, either in the League Cup game against Blackburn or in the Premier League match with Sunderland.

The veteran midfielder has been out of action since suffering knee ligament damage in September and had targeted the trip to Tottenham on December 13 for his return.

But Ferguson has now admitted that Scholes could be back in action against Blackburn or the Black Cats and he added: "Scholes may be involved next week sometime but definitely not this game."

Meanwhile, Ferguson believes City must follow the model set by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich at Chelsea if they are to convert their new-found wealth into sustained success.

City, currently eight points behind third-placed United, are now one of the richest clubs in the world after they were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group at the start of September.

Their new-found spending power was evident when City manager Mark Hughes, a former United striker, who played under Ferguson, signed Brazil star Robinho for a British record 32.5 million pounds (50.1 million dollars) on the last transfer deadline day.

Sunday's clash at Eastlands will be the first time Ferguson has come up against City since the takeover but he insisted Hughes had plenty of work to do before they can be considered genuine rivals to the Old Trafford club.

But he added English and European champions United would relish a new challenge from across town.

"At this moment in time, our threats are still Chelsea and Liverpool who are sitting above us at the moment.

"The rest is the future and that's what Mark Hughes has got to decide how he uses his money and how he shapes his team.

"We experienced it with Chelsea when Abramovich came in and they bought all these players that summer and they won the league in the next two years.

"There was an immediate impact and of course what we had to do then was sit back and accept the challenge.

"The one thing you have to say about this club is that we can accept a challenge and do something about it. We had to do something about it or we'd have been second forever more.

"With Chelsea, it has worked and you have to say their success rate has been good," he added.

"They've been at the top all the time and they're not spending money the way they did when he (Abramovich) first came on the scene.

"They've built up a strong squad of players, very experienced internationals and they've coped with the situation quite well, bringing all the big players in together.

AC Milan's Clarence Seedorf eyes Premier League move

The Dutchman, 32, would like to write a lucrative final chapter in his incredible career by moving to the Premier League.

And Seedorf, the only man to win the Champions League with three different clubs, will have a good chance for a closer look at English football when he lines up against Portsmouth in the Uefa Cup on Thursday.

"I would love to play in the Premier League," said the 32-year-old. "Which player wouldn't? It's one of the best leagues in the world. I'm happy at AC Milan but I never say never.

"The development of the Premier League over the last five years has been incredible. The football is exciting with much more quality. I love to watch it on television."

With Arsenal desperately short of experience in midfield, Arsene Wenger could view Seedorf as a shrewd short-term move, while a number of other sides will also be alerted by his potential availability.

The midfielder, who began his career at Ajax before moving to Real Madrid and Inter Milan, is not as mobile as in his peak. But he proved in Milan's 2006-07 Champions League success that he can still perform at the very highest level.

Milan's midfield options will soon swelled by the arrival of David Beckham, who will join the Serie A giants on loan in January.

With Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Massimo Ambrossini and Emerson at the club, coach Carlo Ancelotti faces a balancing act to preserve harmony among so many celebrated players.

And Seedorf has already claimed Beckham will have to get used to life on the bench at the San Siro.

"The first goal is for him to get fit and in the best shape possible," said Seedorf. "Training with a club like AC Milan will definitely improve his game even if it's only from a training point of view. But I don't know if he'll play, that's another thing completely."

Rossi ready to rock United

PATRICE EVRA is not surprised by Giuseppe Rossi's rise to the big time.

The Italian youngster quit Manchester United for Villarreal last year and comes head-to-head with his old side in the Champions League tomorrow.

Rossi, 21, struggled for chances at Old Trafford but boss Alex Ferguson inserted a buy-back clause into the £6.6million deal.

And Evra claims the striker's emergence should not shock fans.

The United defender said: “I knew he was going to be a good player.

“It was easy. Everybody knows Giuseppe Rossi. If you give him the ball in the box he will score every time.

“He is such a good professional. I am not surprised what he is doing now.

“When he left Manchester United I could only wish him all the best but not against us tomorrow.

“It is not easy to break through at Manchester United.

“When I arrived Gabriel Heinze and Mikael Silvestre were already here so you had three players for one position.

“And you see the strikers and it is even worse.

"We have Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney. Cristiano Ronaldo can play up there and Ryan Giggs as well.

“You see all the names and realise just how hard it is. Believe me, just because Giuseppe Rossi did not play very often for Manchester United is not really a reflection on his talent."

Podolski to put in Bayern transfer request

BERLIN (AFP) - Bayern Munich's Germany international Lukas Podolski announced Monday he wanted to find a new club in the January transfer window.

"I've made my decision, I would like to leave the club this winter," the unsettled striker told Bild newspaper.

"I've already told the directors (at Bayern) that I want to go," added the 23-year-old.

Podolski's impact on the national team where he has earned 60 caps and scored 31 goals has not been mirrored at Bayern where he is under contract until 2010.

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been made reserve behind first choice attackers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose.

In October he was publically criticised by Bayern manager Uli Hoeness for his performance in a game against Eintracht Frankfurt in October.

Podolski, who played a starring role in finalists Germany's Euro 2008 campaign scoring three goals, may attract interest from English Premier League sides like Tottenham, who were linked with a move for the player after the Euro.

Manchester City and Real Madrid have also been linked to the German star who has said his dream move would be back to Cologne from where he broke into the German team.

Italy: AC Milan draws, fails to pull within one point of lead

LECCE, Italy (AP) -- AC Milan drew 2-2 with Torino Sunday, squandering a chance to pull within one point of the Serie A lead.

After falling behind in the first half, Milan quickly came back with goals from Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato to take a 2-1 lead that lasted until late in the second half.

Roberto Stellone had given Torino the lead in the 25th minute, but Milan's Brazilian attackers responded immediately with Pato scoring in the 29th and Ronaldinho connecting on a free kick from just outside the area six minutes later.

But Torino midfielder Alessandro Rossi equalized from the penalty spot in the 78th minute after Milan defender Kakha Kaladze was penalised when the ball deflected off his thigh and onto his arm in front of goal. Milan contested the call but to no avail and felt particularly agrieved because earlier a pass from Ronaldinho hit the arm of Torino's Francesco Pratali but there was no whistle.

"The rules say that if a ball hits the arm after a deflection from another part of the body it's not a penalty,'' said Milan Coach Carlo Ancelotti. "Aside from the penalty call, I'm partially happy with this result. "We could have been more compact after taking the lead and given them fewer chances to tie the score. When we go ahead we have to manage the game better.''

The win gives Milan 27 points, one less than city rival Inter Milan, which defeated Juventus 1-0 Saturday. Turin has 12 points and is one clear of relegation.

"We tried to remain poised when Milan was in possession of the ball, which is their strong point, and then tried to counterattack,'' said Turin coach Giovanni De Biasi.

Also Saturday, Francesco Totti scored one goal and set up another in AS Roma's 3-0 victory over Lecce.

The Roma captain scored in the 49th minute by flicking a shot over goalkeeper Francesco Benussi, who was at the edge of the area to cut off Totti's angle.

The win is the second in a row for Roma and the first one this season away from the Rome's Stadio Olimpico. It victory moves the team three points clear of relegation. Roma has struggled for most of the season to regain the form that had the team battling for the championship until the final game of last season.

"We weren't used to losing all those games in a row and now we are again finding our form,'' Totti said. "Fourth place is our goal right now.''

Mirko Vucinic, who used to play for Lecce, and Juan also scored.

"The team found its brilliance and played well for the full 90 minutes, not giving Lecce a chance to enter in the game,'' Roma coach Luciano Spalletti said. "We have to keep winning games to climb up the table and we have to work seriously, which is just what we have done during this difficult period. There is still a good margin of improvement that we can achieve.''

In Naples, Daniele Conti equalized in the last minute of injury time for Cagliari to draw 2-2 with Napoli. Ezequiel Lavezzi had scored from a free kick from the edge of the area to give Napoli a 2-1 lead in the 84th.

"With a little more concentration we could have taken home three points today, but these are things that happen with a young team,'' Napoli coach Edoardo Reja said. "We will discuss this and look for the solution because it has happened other times that we conceded in the last minute. We need to maintain our concentration until the end of the game.''

Marek Hamsik had put Napoli ahead early in the game and Diego Lopez leveled for Cagliari in the 55th when he tapped a rebound into an open net.

Napoli remains tied for third with Juventus on 24 points.

Antonio Cassano scored two goals and collected an assist in Sampdoria's 3-0 home win over Cagliari. Cassano also fed his teammates several accurate passes that they failed to convert.

Siena scored from two late penalties to defeat Chievo Verona 2-0 for its first road victory of the season.

Also Sunday, it was: Bologna 1, Palermo 1; Lazio 1, Genoa 1; and Reggina 3, Atalanta 1.

Arsenal name Fabregas as captain

Arsenal have named 21-year-old Spaniard Cesc Fabregas as their new captain, replacing defender William Gallas.

Gallas, 31, was stripped of the captaincy for Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City following controversial comments about his team-mates.

But Wenger revealed the Frenchman will play in the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.

Wenger said: "Fabregas will be the captain, permanently. I do not have to explain to you why."

He added: "I believe the captain is the voice of the club towards the outside, and is one of the leaders of the team.

No, I do not regret making Gallas the captain in the first place Arsene Wenger

"However, I do not believe in just one man in the dressing-room who sorts out all of the problems.

"A successful team is a shared leadership inside the dressing room. Fabregas will be one of the leaders, but not the only one."

Gallas was widely criticised last week for publicly accusing some team-mates of in-fighting, insulting behaviour and lacking bravery.

His captaincy has been under scrutiny since a game against Birmingham last season when he kicked an advertising hoarding and remained on the pitch for several minutes following the final whistle after Arsenal conceded a late leveller.

He was left out of the squad for Saturday's humbling defeat and forced to train on his own in London, but was back in the fold for Sunday's training session and is set to win back his place in the side.

"Gallas will play on Tuesday, but Cesc will be the captain, I have made that decision," said Wenger.

Asked if he thought he had made a mistake over the appointment of Gallas, he said: "No, I do not regret making him captain in the first place."

Wenger believes Gallas, who signed for the club from Chelsea in August 2006, still has a big future at the Emirates Stadium.

606: DEBATE Is this too much pressure for Cesc? Gunneruni - Eduardo's Return

"William is a player that I rate and a man I rate. I have a big respect for him. He was working as captain in a very difficult media environment," said Wenger.

"He was under big pressure from the press and at some stage you do not want that high pressure to affect him or the team. But for the man and player I have a big respect.

"I cannot stop suggestions. For me he is a player who is committed to the club and can be even stronger as a player.

"He took all the problems of the team to his heart. It can be a new start for him and make him stronger."

Arsenal are already rank outsiders to win the Premier League, lying in fifth place, 10 points behind Chelsea and Liverpool having lost five league games.

The Gunners have picked up only 11 points from a possible 27 and, coupled with the captaincy situation, Wenger has come under increasing scrutiny as their season threatens to fall apart.

But the Frenchman said: "When you do not win, nobody jumps off the roof, but the frustration does kick in.

"It is a good opportunity now for us to show we have strength and ability - you know how it works, you go from fantastic to a catastrophe, but real life is somewhere in between.

"Even if we are frustrated right now, it is not all doom and gloom. We have a strong belief in our ability and we have a good opportunity to show we care about the club tomorrow."

Manchester United: the Team, the Coach and the Player

Once again Manchester United stands out on the English football. After surpass a bad patch of constant losses that were starting to be detrimental, made all their experience and 17 FA Premier League titles worthy by defeating Stoke City in an astounding game that finished 5-0. With this triumph the Red Devils move forward in the position table of the Premier League 2008/09.

On this occasion the power of Manchester United showed off along the game, Stoke City that tried on and on to stop the beating they were getting couldn’t reached in the right way the net of their rivals, who by the beginning of the second half were lighting the scoreboard with their third goal. Keeping their authority in the field, Manchester arrived at Stoke’s box to finish their 5-goal-massacre. The coup left Manchester with 24 points that allowed them to evict the Arsenal from the third spot to the fourth, in spite of it their still away from Chelsea and Liverpool who are the top with 32 points.

The player of the game was without a doubt the Portuguese idol Cristiano Ronaldo, author of two goals, with which exceeded the 100 goals with Manchester. This accomplishment has made Ronaldo declare publicly his satisfaction and desire for attaining FIFA’s Best Player of the Year title again and the Ballon d’Or as well; although he is aware that there are other great players, who could also be creditable for the titles as Kaká, Lionel Messi or Fernando Torres. Cristiano doesn’t seem to be pleased with just having won the Champions League and being struggling to defend the Premier League title, instead he has called himself the best football player of the world.

Currently Cristiano Ronaldo has a millionaire contract with the Red Devils for another 3 more years and a half, which could be renovated with no problems attached, since both Ronaldo and the club give the impression to have no disagreements that could make them split. Nevertheless, before this season began Ronaldo was tempted by the Real Madrid with a huge sum of money to join their line, but the star decided to stay with Manchester in the end. Currently there have been some rumors about “The Meringues” not desisting from the idea of including the Portuguese in their squad. Naturally part of the reasons for Cristiano to stay with the English team is the payment, but it as well the fact that his experience with them has been comforting.

The euphoria for the victory added to the celebration for the 50th anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson United’s coach debut in professional football world. Era during which has achieved the biggest amount of titles in England’s football. Of those 5 decades, Ferguson has been on charge of Manchester for the last 22 years and has lead more than 1000 encounters with the Londoners. Ferguson took control over the team in November 1986, after they said goodbye to Ron Atkinson.

When Sir Ferguson incorporated he found himself with a group falling to the bottom of the league’s chart in danger of being relegated. Then it would be the Scottish, the one to take the responsibility of pushing the squad up to the top positions. Thanks to his effort the Red Devils have managed to conquest an amazing amount of honors, as well as national tournaments as international ones, among which are UEFA Champions League titles, several cups and competitions from England, an Intercontinental Cup, besides the old European Cups. What's more they are the only club that has won the FA Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season (1998/1999).

With the victory of the last Champions League edition, the constancy of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Sir Alex Ferguson guidance and the recent ascend of the Premier League, is glimpsing a promising future for Manchester United, whom indubitably will remain in the triumph path with their characteristic winning style.