Rooney, Man United oust Man City from FA Cup

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― Manchester United held off 10-man Manchester City in the second half Sunday, ousting the defending champions from the FA Cup with a 3-2 victory in which Paul Scholes surprisingly come out of retirement.

The third-round victory allowed United to exact a measure of revenge on City for a 6-1 rout in the Premier League this season and for a loss to its crosstown rival in last season’s FA Cup semifinals.

Wayne Rooney headed in two goals and Danny Welbeck struck on a volley in the first half. City set up a tense finish with goals by Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergio Aguero. City’s Vincent Kompany was ejected in the 12th minute for fouling Nani.

“We were 3-0 up at halftime and we thought we were through and they took our foot off the pedal,” United manager Ferguson said. “It was a careless performance in the second half and we should have been home and dry.”

United won for the first time at City since Scholes scored the winner in 2010 in the league. The 37-year-old Scholes, who gave away the ball that led to Aguero’s 65th minute-goal, said Sunday morning he was returning seven months after retiring because of injuries to United.

“We didn’t find out until we got to the dressing room,” Rooney said. “It gave everyone a lift. He’s a fantastic player.”

United was joined in the fourth round by Chelsea, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday. Chelsea routed Portsmouth 4-0 after scoring all four goals in the second half; Sunderland won 2-0 at Peterborough; and Sheffield Wednesday beat West Ham 1-0.

Italy

AC Milan struggled to a 2-0 victory at Atalanta to keep its share of the Italian league lead with Juventus. Juventus won 1-0 at last-place Lecce.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted after Milan was awarded a questionable penalty kick in the 22nd minute. Kevin Prince Boateng sealed the outcome with eight minutes left. Milan was made to sweat before Boateng’s goal, with the league scoring leader German Denis hitting the post for Atalanta.

Milan has 37 points and is even with Juventus, which ground out a 1-0 win at Lecce on substitute Alessandro Matri’s 27th-minute header. Udinese is two points further back after a 4-1 victory over 10-man Cesena. Genoa, now coached by Pasquale Marino, lost 3-0 at Cagliari.

Spain

Substitute Alvaro Vazquez headed home the tying goal in the 86th minute as Espanyol held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw, leaving the three-time defending champions five points behind Spanish leader Real Madrid.

With Lionel Messi relatively anonymous in Barcelona’s play, Cesc Fabregas headed home Daniel Alves’ cross in the 16th minute at Cornella El-Prat stadium, Fabregas’ 14th goal of the season and Barcelona’s 100th.

Barcelona looked certain to take three points as it controlled the city derby, but Thievy Fibouma flicked on Raul Rodriguez’s cross for Vazquez to guide home the equalizer.

Scotland

Defending champion Celtic reached the fifth round of the Scottish Cup with a 3-0 victory over Peterhead, and Rangers routed Arbroath 4-0.

Anthony Stokes broke the deadlock for Celtic before halftime and netted another two goals in the second half.

Salim Kerkar scored his first competitive goal for Rangers to complete the Glasgow team’s easy advance out of the third round. The other scores came on an own-goal by Craig Wedderburn and goals by David Healy and Nikica Jelavic.

France

Carlo Ancelotti’s first official game in charge of Paris Saint-Germain ended with a 2-1 win in the French Cup against Locmine, a nonleague club of part-time players.

Uruguay defender Diego Lugano scored with a header with 30 seconds remaining in injury time as PSG avoided the embarrassment of being taken to extra time and reached the last 32.