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Real beats Barca for 2nd time in week

March 3, 2013 - 20:00 By Korea Herald
MADRID (AP) ― Real Madrid beat Barcelona for the second time in five days, a 2-1 win Saturday that will do little to prevent its rival from reclaiming the Spanish league title but could boost coach Jose Mourinho’s team ahead of its Champions League match at Manchester United.

Sergio Ramos scored the tiebreaking goal on a header off Luka Modric’s corner kick in the 82nd minute, and a contentious second half ended with Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes receiving two yellow cards after the final whistle for arguing with the referee.

Karim Benzema put Real Madrid ahead in the sixth minute off a cross from 20-year-old Alvaro Morata, but Lionel Messi tied the score in the 18th following a pass from Daniel Alves, reaching 50 goals for the third straight season and extending his record La Liga scoring streak to 16 games. With his 18th goal in the clasico rivalry, Messi tied the record set by Real’s Alfredo Di Stefano in the 1950s and 1960s.

England

Shinji Kagawa’s hat trick and a stunning goal from Wayne Rooney kept Manchester United on track to its 20th Premier League title with a 4-0 rout of visiting Norwich, and Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez was spared a backlash from his team’s fans with a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

Kagawa became the first Asian player with a three-goal game in England’s top division, scoring in the 45th, 76th and 87th minutes. Rooney added a goal from long distance in stoppage time.