Espanyol sign Indonesian teen

Striker Arthur Irawan is set to become the first Indonesian to play in La Liga after signing for Espanyol. The 18-year-old, who was born in Jakarta, had a brief spell last year with English amateur club Lytham Town before an unsuccessful trial with League One club Preston North End. But the Barcelona-based club, who are currently seventh in the league, have decided to sign the youngster for an undisclosed fee. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino believes Irawan has the potential to become a big talent at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat. According to the La Liga outfit's official website , Irawan was discovered by the club's extensive scouting network and they have high hopes the striker will develop into a very good player. "The latest acquisition is Arthur Irawan, a promising player from Indonesia. "Our challenge is to help him adapt to the style and rigours of European elite football," Espanyol said in a statement.

Barca president proposes change

Europe's leading clubs want governing bodies FIFA and UEFA to stump up the cash for players' wages during international tournaments, according to Barcelona president Sandro Rosell. Rosell wants the top European domestic leagues cut to 16 teams and proposes the money-spinning UEFA Champions League should be expanded. And the Spaniard has warned UEFA that leading clubs may break away unless their demands are met. Speaking at a conference in Doha, he said clubs had opened discussions with the two bodies over the payment of players during the World Cup and European Championships. Income "The worst case scenario is that we will go away from UEFA." Sandro Rosell Quotes of the week Rosell added: "That could happen in the near future because we don't think it is fair that we pay the salaries and they use our players and get income using our players. "This is something that has to be treated very seriously." The Barca chief believes 20 teams in England's Premier League, along with Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A, is too many. Premier League teams have previously resisted attempts to cut numbers, but Rosell believes the lure of an enlarged Champions League could convince English clubs. He said: "The objective of reducing from 20 to 16 is to give more space to our players. "Once the dates are liberated, these dates are not for the national federations. They are for the clubs to organise friendly games or to increase the European competitions." Breakaway UEFA's agreement with the European Club Association, the organisation representing over 200 of the continent's biggest clubs, expires in 2014. Rosell warned clubs may decide to go alone if a new agreement cannot be reached. He said: "If this doesn't happen then the worst case scenario is that we will go away from UEFA."

Barca starlet rejects Blues link

Barcelona midfielder Rafinha Alcantara has played down talk linking him with a move to Chelsea. The 18-year-old recently made his first-team debut for Barca and he is highly-regarded at Camp Nou. Chelsea have been credited with an interest in Alcantara after tracking him since last summer. Alcantara, who is the younger brother of Barca star Thiago, is ignoring talk linking him with the Blues and revealed he is close to signing a new deal at Barcelona. "Chelsea? I don't pay attention to these stories, really," said Alcantara. "My objective is to renew my contract with Barcelona soon. We're close to a deal."

Spurs eye Barca starlets

Tottenham could be set to raid Barcelona for up to three of their defensive starlets. Spurs have already been linked with Martin Montoya and Marc Batra, but skysports.com understands they are also in the market for left-back Carles Planas. 20-year-old Planas is currently with Barca's B side and is a Spanish Under-21 international. The player is contracted to Barca until next summer, but they are yet to decide on his future. Sources believe they could allow him to leave with the option of a buy-back within two seasons. Planas' progress in recent years was hampered by injury but he is now fully fit and impressing for the second-string. Both Batra and Montoya have made their first-team debuts, but could also be available this summer and Spurs are monitoring the situations of all three players.

Walcott - Fab move for Cesc

Theo Walcott believes Barcelona was the perfect move for former Arsenal team-mate Cesc Fabregas. The ex-Gunners captain finally returned to the Catalan giants in the summer following a lengthy transfer wrangle between the two clubs. Despite the 24-year-old's exit from North London, Walcott has been in no doubt that Fabregas made the right move. Saturday could be the first time that the duo line up against each other since their time at Arsenal together when England face Spain at Wembley. "He was an absolutely fantastic player for Arsenal. Throughout the years he was with us he went up so many levels," the 22-year-old said. "Now he puts on a Barca shirt and it just seems to suit him. It's where he always wanted to be in the end. That's where he started and he's fitted into the team really well, he's scoring goals and enjoying himself. Dominant "It'll be nice to see him again and it will be weird playing against him for the first time. He's such a dominant player it'll be interesting to see how he fits in against us. I'm sure we can cope with him. "He's coming off the back of a draw which is rare for Barca, but he scored so he's flying with confidence. "The Spanish team have so many danger men you can't just focus on one though, you have to look after them all at the same time." Despite the 'fear factor' surrounding the world champions with the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and David Villa in their side, Walcott insists the visitors should not underestimate Fabio Capello's men. "He puts on a Barca shirt and it just seems to suit him. It's where he always wanted to be in the end." Theo Walcott on Cesc Fabregas Quotes of the week "England are very strong through the middle, so hopefully they will find it tough," the former Southampton forward said. Great players "If they go wide we've got great full-backs, and I think if I went through the entire list of individuals for England we've got great players across the board. "So I'm hoping they're going to find it tough to get around us. "That's what we did with Arsenal against Barca, we frustrated them, played them at their own game, dropped off when we needed to. "It's also important when you lose the ball that you react and try to win it back in five seconds."

Primera Liga round-up

Real Madrid maintained their position at the top of the table in the Primera Liga following a 7-1 annihilation of Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu. Click below for individual match stats: Real Madrid 7 Osasuna 1 Granada 0 Racing Santander 0 Real Zaragoza 2 Sporting Gijon 2 Espanyol 0 Villarreal 0 Rayo Vallecano 4 Real Sociedad 0 Athletic Bilbao 2 Barcelona 2 Getafe 3 Atletico Madrid 2 Jose Mourinho's side headed into the lunch-time kick-off with a 100 per cent record at home this season and were favourites to muster maximum points. And indeed Los Blancos did so, as they overcame a slightly slow start to virtually wrap up the win inside the first 45 minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was officially presented with the European Golden Boot for his goalscoring exploits in the 2010-11 season on Friday, put Madrid into the lead midway through the first half when he headed home an Angel Di Maria cross from the right wing. Ibrahima Balde briefly restored parity for the visitors from Pamplona on 30 minutes when he slotted home from close range, but the Spanish giants scored two quickfire goals thereafter through Pepe and Gonzalo Higuain before the break. Osasuna defender Eneko Satrustegui was sent off nine minutes into the restart on his league debut following his challenge on Mesut Ozil inside the penalty area, and Ronaldo successfully converted the spot-kick. The Portugal international forward completed his hat-trick just four minutes later and substitute Karim Benzema wrapped up proceedings with goals on 63 and 81 minutes. The 7-1 win means that the nine-time European champions will head into the international break on top of the table in the Spanish first division with 28 points from 11 matches. Barcelona stay second behind Madrid but are now three points off the pace following their 2-2 draw with Athletic Bilbao in the Basque country. In a game that was played on a drenched pitch and amid a downpour, it was Athletic who took the lead after 20 minutes when Ander Herrera found the target. Four minutes later, though, Barca restored parity through Cesc Fabregas, who headed home an Eric Abidal cross. The Spanish champions thought that they had taken the lead on 54 minutes when Messi put the ball into the net but his effort was ruled out because of offside. Then with just 10 minutes remaining on the clock, Barca succumbed to a defensive mix-up as Abidal's attempted clearance went in off Gerard Pique. Athletic were looking to march on to an encouraging 2-1 victory over the Catalan giants at San Mames but Fernando Amorebieta was sent off on 90 minutes. Then moments later in injury time Lionel Messi found himself on the end of a loose ball inside the Athletic penalty area and slotted home with ease. Granada failed to build on their 2-1 away victory over Andalucian rivals Sevilla last week as they were held to a disappointing goalless draw by Racing Santander at home. Ariel Nahuelpan was sent off for the visitors on 87 minutes. Two other struggling sides Real Zaragoza and Sporting Gijon also played out a draw on Sunday to remain in or around the relegation zone. Zaragoza went ahead in front of their supporters on 28 minutes through an Alberto Botia own goal, but conceded the equaliser to David Barral just a couple of minutes later. Barral netted his second goal of the afternoon on 44 minutes to give Sporting the advantage at the break, but a late goal from Helder Postiga saw the hosts salvage a point, as the encounter at La Romareda ended in a 2-2 draw. Basque giants Real Sociedad suffered their sixth defeat in seven matches as they went down 4-0 to Rayo Vallecano at Las Vallecas. La Real went behind as early as the 12th minute when Piti successfully converted a penalty for the Madrid outfit and although they went into the half-time interval with the chance of a comeback, three goals in the second period from the hosts consigned them to more misery. Miguel Perez Cuesta scored Rayo's second goal on 49 minutes and added a further just after the hour mark. Then on 72 minutes Roberto Trashorras found the target to wrap up a comprehensive win for his team and see them move further away from the dropzone. Meanwhile, Villarreal continued to lag as they failed to score in Barcelona and had to settle for a goalless draw with Espanyol despite the home side playing the last 15 minutes with 10 men following the dismissal of Juan Forlin. In the late game on Sunday, 10-man Getafe registered a marvellous 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby to give themselves hope of relegation survival. However, it was Atletico who broke the deadlock at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on the half hour mark. Alberto Lopo brought down Diego inside the Getafe penalty area and was promptly sent off, with Radamel Falcao making no mistake from the spot. But 10 minutes later Abdelaziz Barrada restored parity and four minutes into the second half Getafe went ahead through Michel. In what was proving to be an entertaining affair, Alvaro Dominguez equalised for the visitors in the 80th minute, but three minutes later Getafe earned a spot-kick that was slotted home by Diego Castro.

Neymar rejected Spanish offers

Brazilian sensation Neymar has confirmed he shunned a move to Spain in order to stay with Santos. The 19-year-old, widely regarded as the best teenager in the world, had been expected to join Real Madrid next year after the Spanish giants looked to have beaten most of Europe's top clubs to his signature. Real thought they had a deal done and hoped Neymar would move to the Santiago Bernabeu at some point in 2012. But now Neymar has opted to pen a four-year deal with Santos and his agent says that he will not look to move until after the World Cup in 2014, which takes place in Brazil. Neymar revealed that both Real and Barcelona were contending for his signature. "There was interest from Spain, but I wanted to stay here because I am very happy," he said. Neymar explained at a news conference his decision to remain with Santos: "This was the important decision I have made in my life, and my parents helped me decide. "It is a way of thanking everyone here for all the love I have got, and I am happy to be here until 2014." Agent Wagner Ribeiro added to Lance. "Neymar is happy to be able to remain with Santos until at least 2014, after that he will decide where to go."

Di Maria out for a month

Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria has been ruled out of all footballing action for four weeks with a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old suffered the problem three minutes into the second half of Madrid's Primera Liga game against Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday and was substituted straightaway. Tests carried out on the Argentina international have now revealed that he has torn his hamstring and club doctors have stated that he will be sidelined for at least four weeks. Di Maria, who provided the assists in Madrid's first three goals in their 7-1 victory over the Pamplona outfit during the midday kick-off, will miss Argentina's 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Colombia on November 11 and 15 respectively. He is now set to face a race against time to recover his full fitness for El Clasico against Barcelona at the Bernabeu in just over a month's time. Madrid are currently in pole position in the league table with 28 points from 11 matches, three ahead of defending champions Barcelona, who are second.

La Liga round-up

Valencia climbed above Levante and into third place in the table as the former leaders suffered their second successive defea, while the games at Real Mallorca and Real Betis ended goalless. Levante defender Javi Venta was credited with scoring an own goal in the 31st minute as he could only toe-poke the ball beyond Gustavo Munua with Jordi Alba in close proximity after a defence-splitting pass. Any hopes the hosts had of making a comeback were dashed early in the second period as Munua made a complete hash of Tino Costa's free-kick from outside the box, flapping as it flew past his hand and into the back of the net. Click below for individual match stats Mallorca 0 Sevilla 0 Real Betis 0 Malaga 0 Levante 0 Valencia 2 Real Betis ended their six-game losing streak with a creditable draw at home to big-spending Malaga. Betis gave as good as they got in a match that only showed signs of life in the second half and, while the hosts went goalless for a sixth game in seven, they could take solace in ending their losing slump. Pepe Mel's side had their goalkeeper Casto the thank for the point though as he expertly kept out the best chance of the game on 55 minutes when Salomon Rondon headed on target from close range. Defeat though would have been harsh on Betis as they also had their chances, most notably striker Alejandro Pozuelo, but worryingly again failed to find the net. Hero Not for the first time this season, Sevilla goalkeeper Javi Varas was the hero as his side claimed a 0-0 draw in Mallorca. Mallorca dominated the start of the second half but missed a host of great chances, with Alejandro Alfaro the main culprit. Sevilla then had their best period in the final 10 minutes but created very little, with Dudu Aouate easily turning away their best effort through Jesus Navas. The visitors were missing their two main strikers in Alvaro Negredo and Freddie Kanoute, and their lack of a focal point up front showed throughout the match.

Sevilla end Dos Santos pursuit

Sevilla have declared that Tottenham's out-of-favour playmaker Giovani dos Santos is no longer a transfer target for the January window. The Spanish club were interested in striking a deal for Dos Santos during the summer but could not agree a fee with Spurs. They believe Tottenham's valuation of the Mexico international is still too high and have switched their focus to strengthening other areas of the squad. "He is now not a target for us because his price is superior to the market value," Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido told radio station SVCF. "It is true that the coach has demanded this footballer but now we are searching for a different type of player. "If we spend money in January the chances are it will be a forward." Dos Santos has been at Spurs since 2008 but remains a long way down the pecking order under Harry Redknapp and has had loan spells elsewhere in each of his three full seasons with the London club.

Banega faces sidelines

Valencia midfielder Ever Banega could be sidelined for up to six weeks after suffering a twisted knee in Tuesday's Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen, the Spanish club has announced. The Argentina playmaker was replaced after 24 minutes of the 3-1 triumph at the Mestalla and tests have revealed he has strained ligaments in his right knee. According to the Valencia website the 23-year-old who has been a virtual ever-present so far this season for Los Che is likely to be out for four to six weeks. Valencia will be relieved the problem is not more serious having already lost Hedwiges Maduro [ankle] and Sergio Canales [knee] to long-term injuries this season.

Tamudo sidelined

Rayo Vallecano have confirmed that Raul Tamudo will be missing for the next month. The former Spain international was forced off with a hamstring injury during the weekend's defeat at Villarreal. Rayo had hoped that he would be fit within a week but scans have now revealed a muscle tear in his hamstring. He will now be sidelined until the start of December, missing at least Rayo's next three league matches. Tamudo's absence could very well give former Liverpool youngster Dani Pacheco the chance to start.

Sandoval rues Tamudo blow

Raul Tamudo is set to miss Rayo Vallecano's clash with Real Sociedad after limping out of the defeat at Villarreal and coach Jose Ramon Sandoval admits he will be missed. The former Spain international striker pulled up in the 2-0 reverse at El Madrigal and tests confirmed that he has suffered a calf injury following a series of hefty tackles. Despite being sidelined for the encounter with his former club, Tamudo will have a further two weeks to recuperate thanks to the forthcoming international break. Sandoval believes that the veteran goalscorer is key to his team's bid to stay in the top flight after returning last term and his absence will be a blow. Important "When he went off it spoiled our plans," he said of Tamudo's Villarreal exit. "Tamudo gives everything and that is partly the reason that he suffered this injury. "He is very important to the team between the lines as he moves very well behind the defence and we missed him. "I do not expect him to be available for our next game but he should recover when we have time off for internationals."

La Liga preview

For a team who were handed another chance of life in La Liga, Getafe are not making the most of it. Acquiring just 10 points in their final nine games of last season, Getafe plummeted from 8th into the drop zone. Ultimately, they avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth - a convenient final day draw with Real Sociedad confirming their unlikely survival. Starting in Spain's top division for the eighth consecutive season appeared to be something their new Dubai-based owners didn't wish to take for granted; in came impressive Levante boss Luis Garcia, as well as Juan Rodriguez and Alberto Lopo from relegated Deportivo. But the loss of influential trio Juan Angel Albin, Manu Del Moral and Daniel Parejo for a measly combined fee of 12.5m euros has seen regression as opposed to progression. Getafe are rooted to the bottom of the table with just one win in 10 - their poorest start to a La Liga campaign. Not even Venezuelan striker Miku, fresh from a superb Copa America campaign, has been able to fire Getafe up the table this season. His four goals account for almost half of his side's league goals, but los Azulones still find themselves on a mere seven points. LA LIGA FIXTURES Saturday, November 5 Real Mallorca v Sevilla, 17.00 Real Betis v Malaga, 19.00 Levante v Valencia, 21,00 Sunday, November 6 Real Madrid v Osasuna, 11.00 Granada v Racing, 15.00 Zaragoza v Sporting, 15.00 Rayo v Real Sociedad, 17.00 Espanyol v Villarreal, 17.00 Athletic Bilbao v Barcelona, 19.00 Getafe v Atletico, 21.00 Luis Garcia's men need to start winning and soon - unfortunately for them, a local derby with Atletico Madrid awaits. Local derbies are not ideal when under pressure at the best of times, but Getafe's record against Atletico is enough to abandon hope. They've beaten Atletico just once at home and three times overall; furthermore, Atletico have failed to score at Coliseum Alfonso Perez just once. But Atletico haven't scored away from home all season, picking up just one point from a possible 15. Hope for Luis Garcia and Getafe, then, especially if Falcao continues his barren spell. The Colombian striker has scored just one league goal since hitting five in two against Sporting and Racing Santander in September. With Atletico 10th in the league and eight points off 4th, it could be argued the Rojiblancos need the win as much as Getafe - especially given supporters were chanting for Luis Aragones to take charge of the club throughout their last home game. For Gregorio Manzano, the Atletico manager, and his Getafe counterpart Luis Garcia, a win might be more than just three points and local bragging rights - it could decide their own job status. The derby of delight Luis Garcia could be forgiven for casting a wistful glance towards Ciutat de Valencia. While his Getafe side strive for improvement, the club he left have become one of the stories of the season - not just in Spain, but in world football. For the first time in nearly half a century, Levante entertain Valencia sitting in a loftier league position than their more celebrated opponents. The fact they enter this game disappointed after relinquishing top spot last week shows how much they've achieved already this season. Having reached the summit of Spain's football ladder for the first time in their 102-year history, some cynics would suggest natural order had been restored after their 2-0 defeat to Osasuna. But Juan Ignacio Martinez's side sit two points ahead of 4th placed Valencia and six ahead of Sevilla in 5th, meaning an unthinkable Champions League berth is still within their sights - especially if they can bounce back from their Osasuna setback. Valencia may not hand Levante the three points this weekend, but one thing they already have handed their lesser-known rivals is respect. A small section of Valencia fans were foiled in an attempt to sing anti-Levante songs against Bayer Leverkusen after the rest of Mestalla drowned them out with whistles and boos. Unai Emery will be hoping his Valencia side won't show too much respect, however; a win here puts them above Levante and further establishes their Champions League qualification credentials. He'll be pleased to know Levante have scored just one goal in their last four meetings with Los Che - but much to his chagrin, he knows this Levante side is a different one than any previous incumbent. A return to normality Levante's slip-up means normality has almost been restored - Real Madrid and Barcelona occupying the top two positions in La Liga. It is Real who sit atop of the table at the moment with a one point advantage and a home game against Osasuna next up, while Barcelona face a difficult trip to Athletic Bilbao up. Barca were phenomenal against Mallorca, with Lionel Messi scoring his first hat trick of the week in a 5-0 win - he would later grab another in their Champions League fixture against Viktoria Plzen. Some have commented that the Barca juggernaut is yet to fully power, despite scoring 54 goals in 17 competitive games this season. Last season, it was not until November 23 they topped the table with their 5-0 demolition of Real, so Pep Guardiola's men will not be too worried at the current standings. If it's true the juggernaut hasn't been in full force so far this season in an attacking sense, the same can't be said of Barcelona at the back; they haven't conceded in nine straight games. Valencia's Pablo Hernandez was the last player to score past the champions on September 21. But Marcelo Bielsa's Athletic will fancy their chances to ending that run. The Basque side are beginning to adapt to Bielsea's swashbuckling style; they have scored in the past nine games and failed to bag in just one league game all season. Villarreal finally afloat Elsewhere, Sevilla hope to banish last week's shock defeat to Rayo away to Mallorca, Real Betis will look to end a run of six straight league defeats at home to a Malaga side fortunate to take three points last week against Espanyol, while Granada will hope to build on an impressive 2-1 win at Sevilla when Racing Santander visit Los Carmenes. Villarreal will be hoping their struggles are over when they travel to Espanyol; the Yellow Submarines recorded just their second league win of the season with a 2-0 win against Rayo and will travel to Estadi Cornella El Prat knowing a win could propel them into the top half. Zaragoza and Sporting, 15th and 17th respectively, face off in what could prove a six-pointer given both side's problems this season, while Rayo will look to inflict a fifth straight away defeat upon Real Sociedad.

Canales out for six months

Valencia have confirmed that loan signing Sergio Canales faces six months out of action with a serious knee injury. Canales, who is on a season-long loan at the Mestalla from Real Madrid, suffered the injury in the 1-1 Primera Division draw against Athletic Bilbao last weekend. Scans have confirmed Valencia's worst fears that Canales has sustained anterior cruciate ligament problem meaning he could well miss the rest of the campaign. Canales is expected to undergo surgery on the problem this weekend before being released on Monday to begin his recovery. The news is a major blow for Valencia and Canales as the 20-year-old had established himself as a key player for Unai Emery's side.

Troubles mount for Villarreal

Villarreal's preparations for Wednesday's clash with Manchester City have been dealt another untimely blow by injury news concerning Cristian Zapata. The Spanish outfit are due to face City in the latest round of UEFA Champions League fixtures, but will do so without a number of key men. The Primera Liga club announced on Monday that Colombia international Zapata has been added to their ever-lengthening injury list. The defender has sprained ligaments in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined for up to five weeks. The loss of Zapata comes just 24 hours after it was revealed that Cani, Marco Ruben and Marcos Senna all suffered problems in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano. Cani will be out for around six weeks with a knee sprain of his own, Ruben has an adductor injury and Senna will be rested after feeling a twinge in his hamstring. Stars Javier Camunas is also doubtful for European duty due to a lower leg injury and star strikers Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar will definitely miss out. Italy international Rossi suffered a serious knee injury in a recent league fixture against Real Madrid and could be out for up to six months. Nilmar, meanwhile, is still working his way back to fitness after undergoing an operation to remove a knee cyst at the start of October. Coach Juan Carls Garrido now finds himself down to the bare bones ahead of a game against City that Villarreal desperately need to win. The Yellow Submarines have lost their opening three fixtures in Group A and sit four points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Primera Liga round-up

Levante's seven-game unbeaten run in the Primera Liga came to an end on Sunday as they went down 2-0 to Osasuna, while Malaga won. Click below for individual match stats: Sporting Gijon 1 Athletic Bilbao 1 Osasuna 2 Levante 0 Racing Santander 1 Real Betis 0 Atletico Madrid 3 Real Zaragoza 1 Malaga 2 Espanyol 1 The Valencian side headed into this weekend's round of matches in the Spanish top-flight in pole position and with an unbeaten record. However, Juan Ignacio Martinez's side failed to sustain their streak and conceded twice in the last five minutes of the first half at El Sadar. Alvaro Cejudo broke the deadlock for Osasuna in the 40th minute and four minutes later Juan Francisco Martinez doubled the Pamplona outfit's advantage. Cejudo was sent off just before the hour-mark, but Levante failed to make their one-man advantage count. This result combined with Real Madrid and Barcelona's wins on Saturday means that Levante are now third in the league after 10 matches with 23 points. Leaders Madrid have 25 points while Barcelona are second with 24. Malaga ended a run of three straight defeats to beat Espanyol 2-1 and climb above their opponents into sixth, although the game was not without controversy. Venezuelan striker Salomon Rondon opened the scoring for Malaga from close range after just five minutes, only for Alvaro Vazquez to equalise on the stroke of half-time. Espanyol were then unlucky to concede a penalty in the second half when the referee ruled that Romaric had handled inside the area, but in fact he had been struck in the face by a powerful shot. Antonio Apono stepped up to send goalkeeper Antonio Apono the wrong way and secure victory for Malaga. At the other end of the table, Sporting Gijon's momentum was punctuated following a 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao at home. Manuel Preciado's side went into the match having won their last two fixtures but fell behind to the Basque giants just after the hour-mark when Markel Susaeta found the target with a volley from close range. However, Sporting replied on 71 minutes when substitute Mate Bilic equalised with a long-range effort. Racing Santander mustered their first league win of the season as they got the better of Real Betis 1-0 at home, thanks to a 62nd penalty from Christian Stuani. In what an action-packed encounter at El Sardinero, Alex Pozuelo and Aldekoaotalora Ustaritz hit the bar for Betis while Marc Torrejon saw his header come off the woodwork for the hosts. The result gives relegation-candidates Racing hope of improving as the season progresses, while Betis have now lost six matches in a row. Atletico Madrid too won on Sunday as they comprehensively defeated Real Zaragoza 3-1 at home. Adrian put Gregorio Manzano's side into the lead at the Estadio Vicente Calderon after just 19 minutes and Alvaro Dominguez doubled their advantage just after the half-hour mark. Adrian found the target again in the 75th minute for his second goal of the evening, and although Helder Postiga pulled one back for Zaragoza, it proved to be too little too late for the visitors.

Primera Liga round-up

A stunning treble from the mercurial Lionel Messi helped Barcelona to another big win, but Real Madrid lead the way in Spain. Click below for individual match stats: Valencia 3 Getafe 1 Villarreal 2 Rayo Vallecano 0 Barcelona 5 Mallorca 0 Real Sociedad 0 Real Madrid 1 Elsewhere on Saturday, Valencian maintained their grip on fourth spot and Villarreal clambered out of the drop zone. Messi's hat-trick led Barcelona to a resounding 5-0 victory over Real Mallorca at Camp Nou. The Argentina forward netted three times in 18 first half minutes as his side quickly took control of the game. The second half brought a first senior goal for Isaac Cuenca and a superb late goal from Dani Alves to round off the scoring. Emilio Nsue's handball allowed Messi to score from the spot in the 13th minute. David Villa forced a fine save from Aouate before Barca doubled their lead in the 21st minute when Dani Alves' deep cross and Adriano's mishit across the face of goal presented Messi with a tap-in. And he completed his hat-trick in sumptuous fashion on the half hour, tucking Dani Alves' cross calmly past Aouate with a first-time finish from the edge of the box. Thiago headed wide early in the second half but it was soon 4-0 when the impressive Adriano threaded in Cuenca to open his account. Messi headed wide from Dani Alves' deep cross but the latter added a fitting coat of gloss to the scoreline with a stunning fifth in stoppage time when his dipping 25-yard shot flicked in off the underside of the bar. It was also Barca's eighth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions and their third 5-0 win in a home record in this season's Primera Division which reads played six, won five, drawn one, scored 26, conceded none. Summit Remarkably, taking Barca's home record into account, Real Madrid top the Spanish standings after they edged out Real Sociedad. Jose Mourinho's side were far from their free-flowing best, but got the job done to clamber to the Primera Liga summit. Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain proved to the hero of the hour for Los Blancos on Saturday as his solitary strike was enough to see off plucky Sociedad. He provided a clinical finish just nine minutes into the contest, calmly slotting past Claudio Bravo after being sprung clear inside the box. Real were unable to add to the scoring in the remaining 81 minutes, but Mourinho knows it is points not performances that matter most. Brace Sofiane Feghouli scored his first two goals of the season to help Valencia to a routine 3-1 win over Getafe. The Algerian midfielder put the hosts in front after only 12 minutes as his shot from the edge of the area bounced into the ground and looped over Miguel Angel Moya. The visitors responded with a fine equaliser when Juan Valera's cross from the right was headed back across goal by Dani Guiza and expertly flicked in by Diego Castro. However, Valencia were back in front within two minutes as Feghouli made the most of another ricochet in the Getafe area to side-foot the ball home, and the hosts wrapped up the three points when Artiz Aduriz claimed his first goal of the season with 15 minutes remaining. Villarreal moved out of the relegation zone with a much-needed 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. Bruno Soriano and Borja Valero scored either side of half-time, whilst Marcos Senna also had a first-half penalty saved. Piti should have brought Rayo back into the game but shot wide moments after the second goal and the Madrid side had goalkeeper David Cobeno to thank for keeping the score down as he saved brilliantly from Hernan Perez in the final stages.

Leon ruled out

Getafe loan ace Pedro Leon has been sidelined for two months with a knee injury. Leon is due to have surgery on a knee injury that he suffered three weeks ago but coach Michel does not blame him or the club's medical staff The 24-year-old winger was caught in training by Cata Diaz last month but he was told that he did not require an operation to repair the damage to his knee and was given the green light to return to playing. Now the injury to his right knee has worsened and he will be out of action until the New Year although Michel does not believe that the club were wrong to continue to let him play. "He has played in recent games because the the medics and him said so," the trainer told reporters. "I do not think that it was a bad thing. "I am going to see what happens with him now. "Now the most important thing is the other players and I wish Pedro a return to action as quickly as is possible." Pedro Leon joined Real Madrid from Getafe in 2010 but Jose Mourinho did not include him in his plans despite reportedly blocking a move by Chelsea to sign him last winter. After making just six first-team appearances for Los Merengues the Spain Under-21 international chose to return to Geta on loan for the current campaign.

Udinese - Sanchez snubbed City

Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo has revealed that Alexis Sanchez rejected Manchester City for Barcelona during the summer transfer window. Sanchez, 22, joined Barca from the Italian club on a five-year contract, with Udinese bagging €26million as a transfer fee upfront. That amount could rise to around €37m depending on how the reigning Spanish and European champions fare with the Chile international in their ranks. However, Udinese could have earned as much as €45m right away had Sanchez taken up the offer placed on the table by ambitious English side Manchester City, according to the Udine outfit's chief. "The final price was €26m plus another €11m in variables," Pozzo told Ona FM. "He only wanted to sign for Barcelona and because of that the negotiations were not easy. "There were offers from England that were higher, a €45m one from Manchester City to be precise." Sanchez has recently returned to first-team training with Barcelona, having been out of action since 10th September when he suffered a hamstring injury in the Blaugrana's 2-2 away draw with Real Sociedad.