Messi Scores Late to Keep Barcelona in Top Spot

Lionel Messi’s late goal gave Barcelona a 2-1 victory over Málaga, keeping it at the top of the Spanish league after Real Madrid had earlier won at Tenerife, 5-1, to temporarily lead the standings.

Barcelona dominated possession and created plenty of chances yet could not convert until Pedro Rodriguez beat the goalkeeper Gustavo Munúa in the 70th minute Saturday.

Valmiro Lopez equalized for Málaga in the 81st minute, but Daniel Alves crossed for Messi’s winner in the 84th minute.

Gonzalo Higuaín scored two first-half goals for Madrid. The Argentina forward hit a first-time shot with his left foot from Marcelo’s pass to score in the 29th minute. He added his 16th league goal of the season with his other foot from the edge of the area in the 42nd minute, from Ezequiel Garay’s assist.

Higuaín set Kaká up to score with a through pass in the 48th minute. Cristiano Ronaldo scored Madrid’s fourth from the penalty spot in the 79th minute, and the substitute Raúl González tapped the ball into the net in injury time.

For Tenerife, Ayoze García headed the ball out of Iker Casillas’s hands and into the net in the 47th minute. The referee ignored the goalkeeper’s claim that the goal was illegal.

ITALY Inter Milan scored three first half goals to beat Udinese, 3-2, on Sunday and maintain its four point lead at the top of Serie A ahead of A.C. Milan.

Mario Balotelli, Maicon and Diego Milito scored after Simone Pepe had given Udinese an early lead. Antonio Di Natale converted a penalty shortly after the restart, but José Mourinho’s team held on for the victory.

Meanwhile, Milan comfortably beat Atalanta, 3-1. Alexandre Pato scored twice in the first half, Jaime Valdes responded for Atalanta, but Marco Borriello found the net to secure the victory for Milan.

Roma had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Napoli. Julio Baptista and Mirko Vucinic put Roma 2-0 ahead, but German Denis brought Napoli back into the match in the 75th minute and Marek Hamsik scored an injury time penalty for a share of the points.

On Saturday, the Fiorentina substitute Keirrison equalized in injury time in a 1-1 draw with Lazio.

FRANCE Joris Marveaux scored twice as Montpellier beat Rennes, 3-1, to draw level on points with the French league leader, Bordeaux, but having played two games more.

Bordeaux, the defending champion, tops the standings because it has a better goal difference. Bordeaux was scheduled to play at Le Mans on Sunday, but the game was postponed because of bad weather forecasts.

Marveaux broke the deadlock when left unmarked at the far post, heading in Alberto Costa’s free kick in the 25th minute. The Rennes goalkeeper, Nicolas Douchez, then failed to clear another set piece from Costa and gifted the ball to Marveaux, who coolly slotted home in the 36th minute.

Jimmy Briand of Rennes pulled one back in the 70th minute from close range. Souleymane Camara capped his team’s performance in the 82nd minute with a curled shot following a swift counterattack.

Earlier, Lisandro López scored his 11th goal of the season as Lyon beat Nice, 2-0.

GERMANY Bayer Leverkusen set the Bundesliga record for the best start to the seaso