The Hindu : Sport / Football : FC Barcelona keeps its lead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Sport

Sport - Football

FC Barcelona keeps its lead

LONDON: Manchester United moved within a point of second-place Arsenal with a 4-0 victory at Charlton in the English Premier League, while FC Barcelona kept its lead at six points in the Spanish league as it beat Albacete 2-0.

Goals by Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith and Wayne Rooney overpowered ailing Charlton, and it would have been worse for Alan Curbishley's team had it not been for the standout saves of debutant Danish goalkeeper Stephan Andersen.

Although Chelsea clinched the title on Saturday by winning 2-0 at Bolton, the Reds can still get second place. Their victory at The Valley gave Alex Ferguson's team 73 points from 35 games, while Arsenal has 74 from 34 matches.

Andersen had already made reflex saves to foil Rooney and Scholes before his blunder handed United a 34th-minute lead.

The young Dane fumbled a low 20-metre shot from Rooney, and Scholes was first to follow up and prod the ball into an empty net.

Scholes, lucky to escape with just a yellow card for a two-footed challenge on Dennis Rommedahl, played a part in United's second goal. He found Fletcher on the edge of the Charlton area and the Scottish international guided a low, right-footed shot into the bottom corner.

Rooney got clear of the Charlton defender only to hit the post, before Smith scored his sixth league goal of the season — but first in 2005 — after Moroccan defender Talal El Karkouri failed to clear the ball.

Rooney took a pass from Brazilian World Cup star Kleberson to run into space and add the fourth in the 67th minute.

Charlton defender Chris Perry was sent off five minutes from the end for bringing down a goal-bound Wes Brown.

After 14 years at The Valley, Curbishley admitted for the first time that he might be considering his future with Charlton.

``I do feel like that at this moment in time,'' he said. ``I am a bit down at the moment, I feel the players gave let me down. I expect a bit more from them.

``You can't defend like that against Man United. It was bewildering at times. Man United don't need the leg-up. Some of the things we've done beggars belief.''

Just three weeks before the FA Cup final against Arsenal, United manager Alex Ferguson dropped Tim Howard and the American 'keeper was on the bench to see his replacement, Roy Carroll, make two impressive saves.

Barcelona wins

Samuel Eto'o stretched his leading goal-scorer's total to 22 goals and kept FC Barcelona's lead at six points in the Spanish league on Sunday as the Catalan powerhouse beat Albacete 2-0.

Playing in his first game for the senior squad, 17-year-old former Argentine junior star, Lionel Messi, scored the second in the 90th minute.

Barcelona signed Messi when he was only 13 from Argentine side Newell's Old Boys.

Barcelona leads the standings with 78 points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, which has 72. Sevilla is third with 58 and Villarreal is fourth on 55 points.

Barcelona began attacking and Albacete was kept in the match by fine saves from goalkeeper Raul Valbuena.

After a tense midfield battle, Eto'o finally broke Albacete's firm defence in the 66th minute with an exquisitely placed right-footed shot that spun in off the far post.

An offside-busting lob by Ronaldinho was collected by Messi and calmly driven into goal.

Eto'o leads Diego Forlan as top goal-scorer by two goals.

The results:

English Premier League: Manchester United bt Charlton 4-0; Tottenham bt Aston Villa 5-1; Birmingham bt Blackburn 2-1; Fulham bt Everton 2-0; Liverpool drew with Middlesbrough 1-1; Manchester City bt Portsmouth 2-0; Newcastle drew with Crystal Palace 0-0; Southampton Norwich 4-3.

Spanish League: Atletico Madrid drew with Athletic Bilbao 0-0; Barcelona bt Albacete 2-0; Malaga bt Levante 1-0; Mallorca bt Espanyol 3-2; Numancia drew with Valencia 0-0; Real Sociedad drew with Real Madrid 0-0; Sevilla bt Deportivo La Coruna 2-0; Villarreal bt Getafe 4-0. — AP

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