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Tuesday, Sep 19, 2006
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Sevilla remains Spanish pacesetter

Sevilla scored at least three goals in each of its last seven matches

MADRID: Frederic Kanoute scored two goals and Renato added a late winner on Sunday, helping Sevilla beat Real Betis 3-2 to regain the lead in the Spanish league.

Sevilla's victory maintained its perfect start to the season and extended its unbeaten run to 15 matches, including triumphs in last season's UEFA Cup final and the European Super Cup last month.

The team has scored at least three goals in each of its last seven competitive matches.

Defending champion FC Barcelona and Valencia also made it three wins out of three. Barcelona beat Racing Santander 3-0, while Valencia downed Getafe 2-0.

Sevilla has nine points, above Barcelona and Valencia on goal difference.

Deportivo La Coruna, which beat Villarreal 2-0 to take first place on Saturday, is next with seven points.

Kanoute opens account

Kanoute scored his first goal with a looping shot from inside the area in the 28th minute, but Rafael Sobis, who came to Betis from Copa Libertadores champion Internacional, scored his first two Spanish league goals in the 42nd and 55th.

Kanoute drew Sevilla level four minutes later and Renato won the game with a solo effort in the 86th to help the team equal its best start to a season — it also began with three straight victories in 1991.

Barcelona survived before a long shot by Samuel Eto'o slipped through the fingers of Santander goalkeeper Tono Rodriguez and gave the European champions a 17th-minute lead. The Cameroon striker's goal was his fourth of the season, moving him to the top of the league's scoring chart. Eto'o was the top scorer in Spain last season with 26 goals.

Santander conceded a second goal in the 84th when Ludovic Giuly darted through the defence and drove home.

Barcelona substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen then won an injury-time penalty, which led to Tono's ejection. Felipe Melo was forced to take the goalkeeper's place as Santander had used all three substitutes, but he failed to stop Ronaldinho's spot kick.

Valencia's 1,000th win

Valencia gained its 1,000th league win and ended Getafe's perfect start to the season.

Striker Fernando Morientes, who scored three goals on Tuesday in the team's 4-2 Champions League win at Olympiakos, notched another through a header in first-half injury time.

Left-winger Vicente Rodriguez added Valencia's second with a 67th-minute penalty.

Atletico gained an emphatic win at Bilbao on goals by Maxi Rodriguez, Martin Petrov, Argentine teenager Sergio Aguero and a late penalty from Luciano Galletti. Javi Martinez scored Bilbao's consolation goal.

Osasuna won its first match of the season, thanks to goals by Achille Webo and Savo Milosevic.

Arsenal's narrow win

At Old Trafford, Emmanuel Adebayor scored in the 85th minute to give Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Manchester United.

Cesc Febregas won the ball from United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo and fed it through the middle. United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak raced off his line, but Adebayor got there first and scored.

The results:

Spanish Primera Liga: Sevilla 3 bt Real Betis 2; Real Zaragoza 2 bt Real Mallorca 0; Levante 1 bt Huelva 0; Atletico Madrid 4 bt Athletic Bilbao 1; Valencia 2 bt Getafe 0; Barcelona 3 bt Racing Santander 0; Osasuna 2 bt Tarragona 0; Espanyol 2 bt Celta Vigo 1; Real Madrid 2 bt Real Sociedad 0. Italian Serie A: Ascoli 1 drew with Messina 1; Catania 0 drew with Atalanta 0; Empoli 1 drew with Chievo 1, Palermo 2 bt Lazio 1; Livorno 1 bt Fiorentina 0; AS Roma 3 bt Siena 1; Udinese 2 bt Torino 0; AC Milan 2 bt Parma 0. — Agencies

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