Luis Suarez is hitting form at the right time as Barcelona inch closer towards the top of the table. (Source: AP)Barcelona’s 3-1 win at Granada from goals by Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi was overshadowed by little-known Alberto Bueno netting four goals in 16 minutes in Rayo Vallecano’s victory on Saturday.
Bueno struck four times from the 23rd to the 38th minutes to lead Rayo’s stunning 4-2 comeback win over Levante and send its fans at Vallecas Stadium into raptures in a remarkable first half.
Suarez scored his third goal of the week before setting up Messi as Barcelona kept the pressure on Real Madrid at the top of the Spanish league standings.
Suarez, who scored twice in a 2-1 victory at Manchester City on Tuesday, arguably had his best game since joining Barcelona.
He played a part in Barcelona’s first goal when Ivan Rakitic finished off his rebound in the 25th.
He then worked a one-two combination with Rakitic to double the lead in the 48th. Five minutes later, Granada’s Fran Rico converted a penalty, but Rakitic played Suarez through for him to generously pass to Messi in the 70th.
Suarez’s goal was his 10th in 24 appearances, after he started the season late while completing a four-month ban for biting an Italy defender at the World Cup.
“He has been playing at a very high level,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said of Suarez. “Now, with the goals he is scoring, his hard work is being more widely recognized, but for us he has been doing a very special and interesting job.”
Messi, who could have had another couple of goals if not for Oier Olazabal’s goalkeeping, took his league tally to 27 on the season. Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo leads the competition with 29.
Barcelona pulled to within one point of Madrid before the pacesetter hosts Villarreal on Sunday.
Bueno, a Madrid youth product who played for Derby County in England’s second tier in 2010, started his performance by canceling out Victor Casadesus’ opener with a header.
The attacking midfielder then put in a poor clearance by goalkeeper Diego Marino with his right foot, before slotting in a third goal with his left, and polishing off his own initial shot again with his right boot. Kalu Uche scored late for Levante.
No Rayo player had ever scored four goals in one game. In 1995, Deportivo La Coruna’s Bebeto scored five goals in a 5-0 thrashing of Almeria, the last four coming in a seven-minute span.
“It felt like every ball I touched was going in,” Bueno said.
Barcelona will face Bueno’s Rayo in the next round, and will do so without Neymar after he picked up a fifth yellow card.
But first, Barcelona visits Villarreal on Wednesday looking to book its place in the final of the Copa del Rey, holding a 3-1 advantage heading into the second leg of their semifinal.
Granada, which was left in second-to-last place just ahead of Levante in the relegation zone, held its own in the first half at Los Carmenes Stadium.
Barcelona, however, got a key save from Claudio Bravo to stave Javi Marquez’s goal-bound strike shortly before halftime, and Rakitic and Suarez provided enough firepower to secure the three points.
Messi and Neymar were held in check by Granada’s defense until late, leaving Suarez to lead the attack.
Malaga remained in seventh place after an entertaining 3-2 win over visitor Getafe, which was coached by interim manager Pablo Franco while the club seeks a third coach this season following Quique Sanchez Flores’ unexpected resignation.
Malaga’s Juanmi Jimenez, Sergi Darder and Ricardo Horta all scored attractive goals to better Alvaro Vazquez’s brace for Getafe.
Deportivo drew 0-0 at nine-man Almeria after Thievy Bifouma and Michel Macedo were both booked twice.
Rooney scored from a penalty in the 66th minute after Radamel Falcao was fouled by John O’Shea. (Source: AP)Manchester United rode its luck as Wayne Rooney scored twice in a 2-0 win against struggling 10-man Sunderland, but his success was overshadowed by another refereeing controversy in the English Premier League on Saturday.
One week on from the fury at Chelsea’s home clash with Burnley, referee Roger East was at the center of an alleged case of mistaken identity at Old Trafford.
Rooney scored from a penalty in the 66th minute after Radamel Falcao was fouled by John O’Shea. East sent off Wes Brown, instead of O’Shea, leaving the visitors to struggle on with 10 men. Ironically, both defenders are former United players.
O’Shea, who clearly pulled Falcao back as he was about to shoot, pleaded with East to send him off instead.
East explained, in a statement issued by the referees’ body, that he believed he saw both players make contact with Falcao, but added that none of the officials at the match offered any guidance.
Rooney scored his second six minutes from time to ensure victory, and lift United back to third in the standings behind leader Chelsea and second-place Manchester City, both of whom did not play.
Chelsea meets Tottenham Hotspur in the English League Cup final on Sunday, when City visits Liverpool, and Arsenal hosts Everton in league play.
Southampton, the only other top team in action, was beaten 1-0 by improving West Bromwich Albion.
West Ham’s fading bid for a place in Europe was hit in the day’s early fixture when it lost 3-1 at home to Crystal Palace, while Swansea won 1-0 at Burnley, Newcastle beat struggling Aston Villa, under the new management of Tim Sherwood, 1-0, and Stoke overcame Hull also by one goal.
In all, four of the six fixtures produced just a single goal and, for the second consecutive week, a key refereeing decision became the chief talking point.
East spoke to his assistants at Old Trafford before he confirmed his decision to send off Brown. The fourth official at the game was Martin Atkinson, who was the referee in charge when Chelsea drew 1-1 with Burnley a week earlier, an encounter that was engulfed in controversy about his decision-making with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho citing four questionable incidents.
Two hours after the match, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited issued a statement which explained East’s actions.
“From his position Roger East … believed he saw contact from John O’Shea and Wes Brown on Radamel Falcao,” the statement said. “As he thought Brown made a foul on Falcao, while he was in the act of shooting, he dismissed Brown. After the incident, the match referee consulted with his team of officials, but none were better placed to offer guidance.”
Sunderland manager Gus Poyet said: “It was difficult to see what happened – we’re trying to get a video. It’s between two players. We have to analyze it. It didn’t look an easy decision to make. The referee said Wes Brown was the one who fouled Falcao first. … That’s what he told the players.”
United manager Louis Van Gaal said he was happy with his team’s response in the second half after a dull opening period: “The first half could be better, but the second half we controlled the match. I’m very pleased.
“The players protested because they felt the wrong player was sent off. That’s a mistake. You make mistakes as well, and so do I. It can happen.”
He was also defensive about his decision to withdraw winger Angel di Maria at halftime, and replace him with youngster Adnan Januzaj.
“I want to win,” he said. “I have to observe and analyze. We were better in the second half so I cannot say it was the wrong decision. We have to give him time to adapt and lift his confidence again. He’s a human being and makes mistakes like everyone else.”
West Brom manager Tony Pulis said striker Saido Berahino, who netted his 17th goal of the season after only 71 seconds, scored “a goal that top, top-class players score and Berahino could be a top, top-class player. Since I came to the club, there has been no doubt about his ability. He just needs direction.”
His joy, at beating Southampton for the first time as a manager in four attempts, was in contrast to Ronald Koeman’s dismay after his team’s toothless display.
“We lack confidence,” Koeman said. “But we will keep going and we must beat Crystal Palace on Tuesday.”
