BARCELONA (AP) ― Pedro Rodriguez ensured Barcelona didn’t miss the injured Lionel Messi, scoring three goals in 10 minutes before setting up Cesc Fabregas twice in a 5-2 comeback victory at Getafe on Sunday.
The entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions remained tied with Atletico Madrid. Also Sunday, Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to beat Valencia 3-2 and stay in third place, five points behind its title rivals.
With Barcelona’s strike-duo Messi and Neymar unavailable, Getafe surged forward from the start and stunned the visitors’ shaky defense with two goals in 15 minutes.
But Pedro led the comeback by scoring in the 34th, 41st and 43rd minutes to swing the match in Barcelona’s favor before halftime.
Pedro crossed for Fabregas to score his first goal in the 68th before Pedro earned a penalty in the 72nd that Fabregas converted to secure the result.
Pedro’s second treble of the season made him Barcelona’s leading scorer in the league with 10 goals, tied for fourth best overall.
Barcelona was without the injured Messi, Xavi Hernandez, and Victor Valdes, while Neymar was suspended.
England
Emmanuel Adebayor continued his Tottenham renaissance Sunday, scoring twice in a 3-2 victory at Southampton in Tim Sherwood’s first Premier League match in temporary charge of the London club.
Frozen out by Andre Villas-Boas, who was fired on Monday, Adebayor has quickly repaid the faith Sherwood has shown in him.
After scoring in Tottenham’s League Cup loss to West Ham on Wednesday, Adebayor kept his place in the starting lineup and secured the victory that puts his seventh-place team just six points behind leader Liverpool.
After Adam Lallana put Southampton in front, Adebayor volleyed Tottenham level in the 25th minute on his first league start of the season.
Tottenham went in front through Jos Hooiveld’s own goal at the start of the second half and, after Rickie Lambert tapped in a Southampton equalizer, Adebayor slotted in the winner.
A sixth away win of the campaign moved Tottenham four points from fourth place where Everton sits after Ross Barkley’s free kick clinched a 2-1 win at Swansea in the day’s other game.
France
Paris Saint-Germain drew 2-2 with Lille on Sunday in the French league to extend its lead to three points at the halfway stage.
Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave PSG the lead in the 36th minute with a free kick that took a deflection off the Lille wall.
But Lille captain Rio Mavuba pounced on a low cross from Salomon Kalou to level with a first-time effort in the 44th before Kalou converted a penalty in the 53rd. The hosts equalized with an own goal from Lille centerback Marko Basa in the 72nd.
Lille stayed in third place, one point behind Monaco.
Also, Marseille rallied from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Bordeaux and Lyon conceded a 2-2 draw at Lorient in the last minute of stoppage time.
Italy
A late goal from Rodrigo Palacio gave Inter Milan a 1-0 win over city rival AC Milan in an entertaining derby match in Serie A on Sunday.
Palacio scored four minutes from the end, flicking the ball in from five meters with a backheel after taking a pass from Fredy Guarin.
Andrea Poli had missed an open goal for Milan, while Inter had a strong penalty claim turned down shortly before halftime after a clumsy challenge from Cristian Zapata on Rodrigo Palacio.
Earlier, league leader and two-time defending champion Juventus beat Atalanta 4-1 to maintain a five-point advantage over Roma, which eased to a 4-0 victory over bottom club Catania.
Milan slipped into the bottom half of the table. Inter is fifth.
Germany
Borussia Moenchengladbach drew 2-2 with Wolfsburg on Sunday to move past Borussia Dortmund into third place in the Bundesliga.
Moenchengladbach dropped its first points at home this season but still moved into third, one point ahead of Dortmund, which lost 2-1 to Hertha Berlin on Saturday.
Wolfsburg is now two points behind Dortmund in fifth and is undefeated in nine games.
