Liverpool ended a seven-year wait for a home league win over Manchester United as they prepared for the opening round of Champions League action with a 2-1 victory at Anfield. In Spain, Barcelona’s poor start continued with a 1-1 draw at home to Racing Santander and champions Real Madrid nervously beat Numancia 4-3. Lazio lead the way early on in Serie A while Hamburg SV stole ahead in Germany.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez finally managed a Premier League victory over Manchester United on Saturday after Ryan Babel secured a 2-1 victory at Anfield to bolster his side’s title ambitions.
Chelsea are ahead of Liverpool at the top on goal difference after they also came from behind to beat Manchester City 3-1 away. City’s new £32-million signing of Robinho marked his debut by giving City the lead with a free kick.
Arsenal are third on nine points after thumping Blackburn Rovers 4-0 away with Emmanuel Adebayor hitting a hat-trick. Premier League new boys Hull City are fourth after a 2-1 victory at Newcastle United where fans protested against owner Mike Ashley in the wake of the resignation of manager Kevin Keegan.
In Italy, pressure continued to build on AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti after Genoa handed the seven-times European champions their second defeat in two games thanks to Giuseppe Sculli’s first-half strike and Diego Milito’s late penalty.
Last term’s runners-up AS Roma are also struggling for form being beaten 3-1 at Palermo on Saturday. New Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho claimed his first Serie A win when the champions came from behind to defeat Catania at home with 10 men.
Lazio and Atalanta maintained their 100% records with 2-0 and 1-0 victories over Sampdoria and Bologna respectively.
In Spain, Espanyol top the Primera Liga by two points after two rounds of matches as the only team with a 100% record, after Luis Garcia struck late to give them a 1-0 win away to Recreativo Huelva on Sunday.
Promoted Numancia twice took the lead over Real Madrid before Guti, Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael van der Vaart and an own goal put the champions in front 4-2 at the break. The visitors pulled one back and almost nicked an equaliser at the end.
Barcelona are still seeking their first win under Pep Guardiola after being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Racing Santander on Saturday. – Reuters