Clash of Titans-El Clasico

From Camp Nou loss to dreams of a treble - the Clasico tide has shifted in Real Madrid's favour

An  era of the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona has come and gone, with the teams beginning a new chapter this season. Pep Guardiola and his disciples have given way to Gerardo Martino, while Carlo Ancelotti appears to have accelerated the process of overtaking the Blaugrana that Jose Mourinho started before his departure this summer.


Despite Barca's victory over Los Merengues at Camp Nou in the fall, this has been the season where the gap between Madrid and Barcelona has finally closed. Madrid have a four-point lead in the table and comfortably dispatched Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinals. Neymar hasn't quite found his form again after suffering an injury, while Gareth Bale appears to get better with every game. With Xavi having just recently turned 34, the most valuable passing central midfielder in the world might now be Luka Modrić. Carlo Ancelotti is just a couple of results from being hailed as a genius, while the rumors are already swirling that 'Tata' Martino won't last the summer at Camp Nou.

Of course, that's all just what's happened up until this point, because everything can change on Sunday. A win for Barcelona at the Bernabeu could flip the script completely, putting all the pressure on Madrid in the Copa del Rey final in mid-April. And if Madrid come up short there? Well, assuming they can get by Borussia Dortmund in Champions League -- and they probably will, even if they're reeling domestically -- they're very likely to end up sealing a date with one of their domestic rivals or Pep Guardiola.

Ancelotti's Madrid have been a revelation since that Clasico loss and have a treble in their sights, but they need to avoid defeat on Sunday first. They have a golden opportunity to end Barcelona’s hopes of retaining the league title and going on to make it a two-horse race with Atletico Madrid should they win on Sunday.A loss to Barcelona could turn Ancelotti from a hero into a goat quickly, which certainly isn't the case for Martino. His situation is quite the opposite: Tata has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Maybe Barca aren't in such a bad spot after all.
Team news

Barcelona have the benefit of a mostly clean bill of health for this match, save for the two players that are always out. Carles Puyol hasn't recovered from his knee injury and will be unavailable once again, while midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos also remains sidelined.

Real Madrid have been a bit less fortunate with the timing of some of their injuries. Jese started midweek in Champions League and tore his ACL, so he'll be out for the rest of the season. Alvaro Arbeloa is also out for around a month, while Sami Khedira is trying to recover from an ACL tear of his own. There's a possibility that Khedira is ready for the very end of the season -- and therefore, the World Cup -- but he is still unavailable for this game. Karim Benzema was rested for the Champions League match, but Carlo Ancelotti says he is fully fit.

Projected lineups (left to right)

Real Madrid (4-3-3): Diego Lopez; Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Dani Carvajal; Angel Di Maria, Xabi Alonso, Luka Modrić; Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale
Barcelona (4-3-3): Victor Valdes; Jordi Alba, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Dani Alves; Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas; Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Neymar

Key Matchups

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi


Unsurprisingly the top-scorers for their respective clubs, Ronaldo also leads the way in La Liga this season with 25 goals in 24 appearances for Los Blancos, while Messi leads the way for the Catalans with 18 in 21 matches.

Both will be keen to extend that tally this weekend and both could not be in much better form to do just that. Messi helped himself to a hat-trick as Barca dismantled Osasuna 7-0 last weekend and in-turn became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 371 goals, eclipsing that of Paulino Alcantara. Ronaldo scored twice in his side’s 3-1 Champions League win over Schalke to level Ferenc Puskas’s club record 242 goals. It also moved the Portuguese to within one goal of the Champions League record of 14 in a season - held by Messi.

It’s not all about goals. Messi has produced more assists than creative midfield men Andres Iniesta and Xavi with nine to his name this season, trailing only Cesc Fabregas, who has 12. Ronaldo, sometimes perceived as a selfish player, hasn’t done too badly either with seven assists this term.

The Argentine has another chance to make some history this weekend, too, with one goal seeing him tied with former Madrid man Hugo Sanchez on 244 La Liga goals. Messi is currently third in the all-time league scoring charts with 233. Telmo Zarra leads the way with 252 and Ronaldo is currently only 14th on the list, although he didn’t start playing in Spain until he was 24. He’ll be looking to make up for lost time.

Bale vs Alba

These two very fast footballers did not come face-to-face during the game at theCamp Noubecause Jordi Alba was injured. Let us also not forget that Ancelotti fielded Bale as a centre-forward – he has never done that again – and played Di María on the right to stop Adriano.

Back then,Real Madridhad not yet settled into a tactical system. A far cry from now, where every player is fielded in their natural position, in Bale's case, on the right wing.

Injuries have stopped Jordi Alba from enjoying the same continuity he had last season and due to that his contribution to his team's attacking play has not been the same.

On Sunday, the world should finally see Bale vs. Alba, and given the progress made by the Welshman in recent games, he could be decisive to Real'sgame plan.

It is going to be a battle between two sprinters who, in addition to making the most of their speed, will also try to impose their will on the game. In other words, Bale is going to have to work hard in attack in order to expose the Barcelona full-back's defensive weaknesses.

On the other hand, if Alba can soak up that pressure, if he can stop Real from camping out in his half of the pitch and he can move his game into their half, he can keep Bale away from the Barça area, where he really could make a difference.

Luka Modric vs. Andres Iniesta

The two cogs that have been making Madrid and Barca tick this season, Iniesta is vastly experienced in the cauldron that is El Clasico but in the appearances he’s made so far, former Tottenham Hotspur man Modric has taken to them like the proverbial duck to water. Both will be crucial in orchestrating their side’s attack and both will undoubtedly play key roles in the outcome of the match.

The Croatian has been the success story of the season for Los Blancos this campaign alongside youngster Jese Rodriguez, who will unfortunately miss out through a season-ending knee injury. In a league obsessed by statistics Modric may not seem to be setting things alight with just one goal and six assists so far this season, but he’s the man who assists the assists. He’s the one that wins the ball back, starts the move and calls the tune, taking on more of the control of the game from midfield maestro Xabi Alonso.

Iniesta will play a similar role for the Catalans, with his similar stats of two goals and six assists this term not exactly catching the eye but Barca’s experienced No.8 is the man that sets the tone for his side. He makes the space and he spots his teammates in space, a midfield genius who is well accustomed to the atmosphere and build-up of such a match.

With an average of almost 65 passes per match for Iniesta and almost 60 for Modric, the pair are going to have a big say on the direction the game goes.

Alonso vs Busquets

Theirs is not the fashionable one-to-one; it consists of an indirect rivalry within the tactical organisation of the game. Xabi and Busquets are masters of the tactical networks whereby the ball is moved around. Their spheres of influence are restricted to the areas where their teams' moves are created and set up, and so their duels are conducted at long-distance.
Ancelotti's 4-3-3 formation suits Alonso down to the ground. Right in the middle, in front of the defenders, with the whole horizon in his sight, Xabi gets the maximum out of his view of the playing field and the movement of the ball. He alternates between the short ball and the long ball. At the start of a move, he embeds himself between the two central defenders, who move out towards the wings, while the backs come halfway upfield.
A pure central midfielder, Busquets possesses a surprising tactical versatility, and he is particularly good at adapting his play to the needs of his side at all times. Martino has at times used him on the inside, and has even put Song with him in a kind of double wing-half formation.
It is becoming more and more usual to find Busquets embedded between his two midfielders, almost as a starting position, both when the ball moves forward and when defending a dead-ball situation. When Barça play with four central midfielders, Sergio is a kind of bodyguard of the Xavi-Cesc-Iniesta threesome, always behind them.His responsibility in the Barça defence has become greater this season, and it is maybe for that reason that he has shone less as a playmaker.

Diego Lopez vs. Victor Valdes

While much of the focus will be on the attacking qualities of both sides and the millions spent in the quest for goals and attractive football, Sunday’s match could well be won with some brilliance at the other end. Valdes came up through Barca’s famed La Masia youth system, with a spell at Tenerife sandwiched between, while Lopez cost nowhere near the mega-bucks splashed out on players such as Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Alexis Sanchez when Jose Mourinho brought him back to the club from Sevilla.

Goals win games but brilliant saves do, too. Both are capable of making match-winning saves and both will expect plenty of action given the attacking powers they will face. Valdes has no shortage of experience in the big matches and although Lopez is a relative newcomer to the Clasico, he has become a reliable shot-stopper for Madrid while under the pressure of legend Iker Casillas sitting on the bench ready to take his place when called upon.

Both are susceptible to errors, albeit not so often. Lopez admitted he could have done better to deny Gabi a goal in El Derbi recently while Valdes has the unwanted experience of making a mistake in a Clasico contest. His failure to clear the danger under pressure Angel Di Maria in the Camp Nou in 2012 allowed the Argentine to score a goal that left the goalkeeper embarrassed. Luckily for him Barca hung on to win 3-2.

It will also be an emotional day for Valdes with it possibly being his last involvement in a Clasico at the Bernabeu. The 32-year-old will leave the club at the end of the season and although the sides meet in the Copa del Rey final, Jose Manuel Pinto is expected to start in goal. There’s still a chance the sides could meet in the semi-finals of the Champions League but the likelihood is that Valdes will be playing at the Bernabeu for one last time in a Barca shirt.

Laliga Table

#	Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Real Madrid	28	22	4	2	77	26	51	70
2	Atlético Madrid	28	21	4	3	64	21	43	67
3	Barcelona	28	21	3	4	81	22	59	66

FORM GUIDE: LAST 10 GAMES
BARCELONA W 2-0 vs Sociedad W 4-1 vs Sevilla D 1-1 vs Sociedad W 6-0 vs Rayo W 2-0 vs Man City L 1-3 vs Sociedad W 4-1 vs Almeria L 0-1 vs Valladolid W 2-1 vs Man City W 7-0 vs Osasuna	REAL MADRIDW 3-0 vs Atletico W 4-2 vs Villarreal W 2-0 vs Atletico W 3-0 vs Getafe W 3-0 vs Elche W 6-1 vs Schalke D 2-2 vs Atletico W 3-0 vs Levante W 1-0 vs Malaga W 3-1 vs Schalke

Saturday Night Football Results

Premier League Results:

 Chelsea destroy 10-man Arsenal 6-0 at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea blew away Premier League title rivals Arsenal inside 17 madcap minutes at Stamford Bridge as Arsene Wenger's 1,000th game in charge turned horribly sour and ended in a humiliating 6-0 defeat.

Jose Mourinho, who now boasts an 11-game unbeaten record against his bitter rival, saw his leaders roar into a 2-0 lead after just seven minutes courtesy of goals from Samuel Eto'o and the outstanding Andre Schurrle.

Best of the match:

• Man of the match: Andre Schurrle drove the hosts forward at every opportunity.
• Goal of the match: Samuel Eto'o got Chelsea off to the fast start they wanted and his precise finish was classy.
• Save of the match: Petr Cech denied Olivier Giroud in the very early stages at 0-0 and the hosts then went up the other end and scored the opener.
• Moment of the match: Crazy minute or so as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain saved on the line with his hand and then Kieran Gibbs was mistakenly red-carded.
• Attempt of the match: An effort from Oscar that just went over the bar from the edge of the area after being beautifully teed-up by Fernando Torres.
• Talking point: There will be plenty of fallout from the red card incident, but once again Arsenal crumbled when faced with a crucial match in terms of the title.

That was dramatic enough, but the main talking point arrived soon after as Chelsea were awarded a penalty when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain dived to push an Eden Hazard shot, which looked to be heading wide anyway, past the post.

Referee Andre Marriner took his time before awarding a spot-kick and then brandished an inevitable red card, only to show it in the face of a bemused Kieran Gibbs, who protested his innocence, while replays appeared to show Oxlade-Chamberlain approach the official to say: "Ref, it was me."

Arsenal were never in the game, such was their profligacy in possession, and once the unfortunate Gibbs had been given his marching orders they were simply in damage limitation mode, only for Oscar (two) and Mohamed Salah to add further gloss to the scoreline before the final whistle sounded.

A warning of what was to come arrived with only three minutes gone when Laurent Koscielny's poor pass only found Schurrle, whose through-ball towards Eto'o was cut out by Szczesny.

Play switched to the other end and Petr Cech produced an excellent low save to deny Olivier Giroud following Tomas Rosicky's pass, although the French striker failed to make a clean contact.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho explains how he was delighted with his team's approach to their match with Arsenal.

Schurrle and Eto'o  combined to devastating effect in the fifth minute, with the German feeding his forward colleague after Arsenal ceded possession in the centre and the Cameroon forward turned Oxlade-Chamberlain before curling a left foot shot beyond Szczesny's despairing dive.

Arsenal did not learn. They gave the ball away once again in the middle and then allowed Schurrle to advance unchecked to the edge of the box before he drilled a low shot into a static Szczesny's bottom corner.

Chelsea were forced into an early change as Eto'o went down with what appeared to be a hamstring injury and Fernando Torres was sent on in his place.

Marriner's moment of mistaken identity and Hazard's cool head from 12 yards came soon after, with Wenger withdrawing Lukas Podolski and sending on Thomas Vermaelen to shore up his shambolic and shell-shocked side.

Watch the Soccer Saturday team's reaction to Kieran Gibbs' wrongful dismissal in Arsenal's 6-0 loss to Chelsea.

The frenetic pace dropped somewhat, although Szczesny had to be alert to turn a deflected David Luiz drive round the post, and there was still time for Oscar to make it 4-0 before the interval, clipping home Torres' low cross from close range.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was put out of his misery at the interval, with Wenger also withdrawing Koscielny and sending on Mathieu Flamini and Carl Jenkinson.

But the Arsenal goalkeeper was culpable in the 66th minute as he allowed a routine Oscar effort from outside the box to skip up off the turf in front of him to make it 5-0, with the Brazilian immediately replaced by Salah.And the January signing got in on the act in the 71st minute, getting in behind the Arsenal defence to convert Nemanja Matic's ball over the top with a cool finish under an exposed Szczesny.

Manchester City thrash Fulham 5-0 as Yaya Toure nets hat-trick

Yaya Toure: Celebrates his hat-trick as Manchester City destroy Fulham 5-0

Manchester City strolled to a 5-0 victory over Fulham as Yaya Toure netted a hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium to keep their Premier League title bid on track.

• Man of the match: Yaya Toure bossed the midfielder for Manchester City and kept his cool with two penalties, before adding a wonderful third to seal his hat-trick.
• Goal of the match: Toure's final goal was exquisite as he picked up a short pass from Samir Nasri at least 25 yards from goal and curled a majestic strike into the top corner.
• Moment of the match: Fernando Amorebieta's rash tackle on David Silva gave Man City a second penalty and resulted in a red card, leaving Fulham with no chance.
• Save of the match: David Stockdale produced a number of good stops, but the pick of the bunch was a fingertip save onto the crossbar from Aleksandar Kolarov's powerful strike at the end of the first half.
• Talking point: Is the title Manchester City's to lose? What changes do Fulham need to make to stay up?

Milner had City's first attempt on goal after a cross from Aleksandar Kolarov was blocked and headed towards him invitingly. The England international watched the bounce and struck his shot well but David Stockdale met it with a good save.

Fulham briefly caused a few problems and Kieran Richardson struck a free-kick into the wall.

Richardson then went closer to opening the scoring with a powerful left-foot drive that flew just wide after a Cauley Woodrow effort was blocked.City finally got their penalty after Negredo chased a long ball from Milner and was kicked in the backside by Amorebieta.

Negredo may have made the most of the contact but referee Jonathan Moss gave his decision some thought before pointing to the spot.Toure made no mistake as he sent the keeper the wrong way after Amorebieta was booked.

Fulham looked for a quick response but Sascha Riether spurned a good chance as he headed over from Richardson's cross.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes his team were very balanced in both attack and defense after beating Fulham 5-0 at the Etihad.

City might have doubled their lead when the in-form Silva showed great footwork after being played in by Fernandinho and brilliantly lifted the ball over Stockdale, but Amorebieta headed off the line.

Kolarov then rattled the woodwork with a fierce drive, which Stockdale may have got his fingertips to, after being played in on the left by the impressive Milner.

City's next breakthrough came eight minutes into the second half as Milner cleverly slipped Silva through on goal and Amorebieta crudely brought the Spaniard down.It proved the final act of Amorebieta's eventful afternoon as Moss brandished the red card.

Fulham manager Felix Magath did not expect to win against Manchester City but was disappointed with the way his team played overall.

Toure's second spot-kick proved a replica of his first and there was simply no way back for Fulham.City applied more pressure and Milner shot narrowly over from the edge of the area after cutting onto his left foot following neat work by Silva.

Fulham could do little about Toure's hat-trick goal after Samir Nasri took a short free-kick.The Ivorian, reprising his Capital One Cup final stunner, took aim from about 25 yards out and sent a wonderful curling effort into the tiny gap between the diving Stockdale and the post.

Fulham could have been overwhelmed quickly as Kolarov tested Stockdale with a fierce drive and Milner saw an effort deflected wide after combining with Negredo.Toure got a standing ovation as he was withdrawn after 77 minutes and Demichelis almost netted as John Heitinga cleared his effort off the line.

The fourth came six minutes from time as a well-worked corner found its way to Fernandinho and the Brazilian smashed home from inside the box.The pressure continued and Milner had a shot saved before Demichelis tapped in a rebound after Stockdale blocked from substitute Stevan Jovetic.

Luis Suarez scores hat-trick as Liverpool beat Cardiff 6-3

Luis Suarez: Celebrates against Cardiff City

Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick and Martin Skrtel struck twice as Liverpool underlined their Barclays Premier League title credentials after a 6-3 win over Cardiff City in a thrilling encounter in south Wales.

Brendan Rodgers' team went behind on two occasions in the first half as Jordan Mutch and then Fraizer Campbell struck for relegation-threatened Cardiff.

• Man of the match: Who other than Luis Suarez? Maybe not his best all-round performance, but scored three great goals to give his side the win.
• Goal of the match: Luis Suarez's second of the game - sweeping home after a terrific back-heel pass from Daniel Sturridge.
• Moment of the match: Martin Skrtel finally putting Liverpool in the lead with a great header from a corner with Cardiff two players short due to injuries.
• Attempt of the match: Frazier Campbell heading over the bar from a great Craig Bellamy cross.
• Save of the match: David Marshall made a double stop, keeping out a Luis Suarez shot, before palming the ball away from Joe Allen.
• Talking point: Liverpool showed their title credentials, pulling the game from the fire after a sloppy start.

But Skrtel claimed Liverpool's second equaliser just before the break following Suarez's 16th-minute effort from close range before Cardiff were finished off during a devastating six-minute spell.

Skrtel's 54th-minute header from a corner put Liverpool ahead for the first time, and then an audacious back-heel by Daniel Sturridge gave Suarez all the room he needed to make it six league wins on the bounce.

And Sturridge completed a second-half masterclass when he scored 15 minutes from time to continue Liverpool's irresistible form and keep Cardiff in deep trouble.

Mutch claimed a consolation goal two minutes from the whistle but there was still time for Liverpool to score again as Suarez pounced deep into injury time.

When the Reds turned up the heat, Cardiff could not live with their precision passing and quality finishing, meaning they remain in the relegation zone with just seven games left.

Rodgers made just one change from the side that beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford last weekend, with Philippe Coutinho taking over from Raheem Sterling.

There was further pre-match evidence of discontent among Cardiff fans when supporters staged a peaceful protest against the club's controversial rebrand under owner Vincent Tan from blue to red.

Brendan Rodgers believes his Liverpool side showed great composure and focus to come from behind and beat Cardiff 6-3.

A number of supporters' groups combined to march to Cardiff City Stadium from a nearby pub, with many fans wearing blue inside and outside the ground.

Cardiff dominated the opening exchanges, going close from a free-kick after Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was cautioned for fouling Campbell, then Kevin Theophile-Catherine blasted over the bar.

But it took Cardiff just nine minutes to open the scoring and Liverpool could have few complaints as Campbell's impressive approach work created space that allowed Mutch to drive the ball home past Simon Mignolet.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær was unhappy with the referee's decision to allow play to continue whilst two Cardiff players were received treatment to injuries.

Mutch's strike, though, stirred Liverpool into action, and they equalised seven minutes later when Jordan Henderson found Glen Johnson, and his slide-rule delivery was tucked away by Suarez.

Suarez's 26th goal of the season could easily have deflated Cardiff, yet they continued to play with an accuracy and tempo that belied their lowly league status.

And that enterprise was rewarded when Campbell turned Daniel Agger inside out before finishing brilliantly past Mignolet to put Cardiff 2-1 up after 25 minutes of an enthralling contest.

Luis Suarez scored his third hat trick of the season during Liverpool's 6-3 win over Cardiff.

Liverpool tried to assert themselves on proceedings but they had to wait until four minutes before half-time before Cardiff could be punished for a second time.

This time it was Coutinho who played in a telling pass from the left, and Skrtel inched ahead of Cardiff's central defenders to deliver a left-footed finish past goalkeeper David Marshall.

Marshall then had to save at Suarez's feet in the final act of a gripping opening 45 minutes that saw Cardiff make light of trailing Liverpool by 37 points before kick-off.

But Liverpool went ahead nine minutes into the second half when Skrtel pounced for his second, heading home a Coutinho corner.

It was rough justice on the home team, and Suarez rubbed their noses in the dirt six minutes later with another cool finish following a Sturridge back-heel that set the Uruguayan up.

Suarez returned the compliment by providing the assist for Sturridge to post Liverpool's fifth goal, and while Cardiff hardly deserved such a beating, there was no disguising the fact they had ultimately been crushed by a team oozing confidence, even though there was enough time for Mutch to cut the deficit and Suarez to claim his hat-trick.

Wayne Rooney wonder strike helps Man Utd win 2-0 at West Ham

Wayne Rooney: Scoring his first

Two goals from Wayne Rooney, including a wonder strike from just inside the West Ham half, secured Manchester United a 2-0 victory at Upton Park.

Returning to league action after progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals with a fine victory against Olympiakos, the England international netted twice as David Moyes' men proved Wednesday's result was no flash in the pan.

Rooney's second saw him move onto 212 goals and usurp Jack Rowley as the third highest goalscorer in United's history, but it was his first just eight minutes into the win that will live long in the memory.

The 28-year-old produced a moment of magic, sending the ball sailing over Adrian in a goal similar in audacity and skill to David Beckham's wonder strike at Wimbledon in 1996.

Rather aptly, the former United midfielder was at Upton Park to witness the effort first-hand and will have been impressed by the way Moyes' side held on to condemn West Ham to a third successive defeat.

Rooney's display was certainly a timely shot in the arm for United, with Robin van Persie facing up to six weeks out with a sprained knee.

His enforced absence was one of the six changes from the midweek win over Olympiakos, with the visitors impressing from the outset in east London.

One of those brought in, Marouane Fellaini, came close to putting the visitors ahead inside three minutes, powering a header goalwards only for Andy Carroll to hack off the line.

Moyes' side continued in the ascendancy and were almost then gifted a goal as Shinji Kagawa collected a miscued James Tomkins pass, allowing the Japan international to thread through Juan Mata.

Adrian did well to stop the midfielder's strike but could only watch helplessly as Rooney netted his contender for goal of the season.

Having outmuscled Tomkins, Rooney turned and hit a half-volley which sailed over Adrian and into the net from fully 58 yards.

Beckham, watching on from the Upton Park stands, smiled wryly at the goal so similar to his own famous strike, which West Ham tried to chalk off immediately.

Mohamed Diame saw a drive blocked by Alexander Buttner, before Carroll powered a header straight at David de Gea moments after glancing a Kevin Nolan free-kick wide.

Diame lost his footing just before getting a shot away as the home side continued to press, although they were leaving themselves open at the back.

When United next attacked Adrian had to be alert to deny Kagawa directing in a Mata through-ball, before the Spaniard stung the palms of the West Ham goalkeeper after wriggling free.

The visitors did not have to wait long to double their advantage, though.

As Nolan fumed at having a penalty appeal rejected by referee Lee Mason, United countered at speed with Rooney playing the ball right to Ashley Young.

The returning winger burst forward and sent in a low cross that Mark Noble could only hack into the path of Rooney, who easily directed home in the 33rd minute.

The goal moved him third in United's all-time scorers list and he attempted to add to that haul before the break, although failed with three efforts at a hat-trick.

The Hammers returned from the break impressively and, after Young saw an effort saved at the other end, Diame had a strike blocked as West Ham attempted to carve open United's defence, which was holding firm despite Michael Carrick playing as a makeshift centre-back.

The England midfielder did well to head away as Tomkins lurked at the back post, before left-back Buttner failed with an attempt at the other end.

West Ham brought on Carlton Cole with less than 20 minutes remaining as they continued to pump balls into the box, while United made changes of their own, including the withdrawal of Rooney.

Rooney's replacement Javier Hernandez would have added a third had Kagawa not sent a cross over the unmarked forward's head.

Other Results

Everton 3 - 2 Swansea City

Hull City 2 - 0 West Bromwich Albion

Newcastle United 1 - 0 Crystal Palace

Norwich City 2 - 0 Sunderland                                          

Club	Pld	Pts
Chelsea	31	69
Liverpool	30	65
Man City	28	63
Arsenal	30	62
Everton	29	54
Spurs	30	53
Man Utd	30	51
Newcastle	30	46
Southampton	30	45
Aston Villa	29	34
Stoke	30	34
Hull	30	33
Norwich	31	32
West Ham	30	31
Swansea	30	29
West Brom	30	28
Crystal Palace	30	28
Sunderland	28	25
Cardiff	31	25
Fulham	31	24

Laliga Results

Real Valladolid 1 - 1 Rayo Vallecano

Celta de Vigo 0 - 2 Málaga 

Espanyol 0 - 0  Levante 

Granada 1 - 0 Elche 

Bundesliga Results

Borussia M'gladbach 3 - 0 Hertha BSC

Freiburg 3 - 1 Werder Bremen

Hannover 96 0 - 3 Borussia Dortmund

Mainz 05 0 - 2 Bayern München

Schalke 04 3 - 1 Eintracht Braunschweig

Stuttgart 1 - 0 Hamburger 

Wolfsburg 1 - 1 Augsburg

League 1

Bastia 2 - 0 Reims

Bordeaux 1 - 1 Nice

Nantes 2 - 1 Montpellier

Toulouse 1 - 1 Evian TG

Valenciennes 2 - 3 Ajaccio