Boateng hat-trick inspires Milan fight back

Kevin-Prince Boateng shoots home during his 14-minute hat-trick at Lecce Kevin-Prince Boateng hits 14-minute hat-trick for AC Milan Fastest Serie A triple in 10 years Milan come from three down to beat Lecce 4-3 Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich lose at Hannover
(CNN) -- Kevin-Prince Boateng scored the fastest Serie A hat-trick in 10 years and Mario Yepes grabbed a late winner as AC Milan came back from 3-0 down for a sensational 4-3 victory at Lecce Sunday.
The Rossoneri were 3-0 down at the interval following goals from Guillermo Giacomazzi, a Massimo Oddo penalty and Carlos Grossmuller.
But Ghana international Boateng came off the bench to spark a remarkable turn around with a 14-minute treble.
Yepes then headed home in the 83rd minute to give Massimiliano Allegri's men an unlikely victory.
"It was very important that we could win this game, it was unbelievable, we came back, I scored three goals," man-of-the-match Boateng told AFP.
Boateng's effort was the fastest triple in Italy since David Trezeguet scored a 10-minute hat-trick for Juventus in 2001.
Elsewhere, Udinese went top with a 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Novara.
Captain Antonio Di Natale scored a double and Maurizio Domizzi added the third as their side opened up a two-point lead over Juventus, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Genoa Saturday.
Milan's city rivals Inter won their second game in a row as Thiago Motta scored the only goal in their 1-0 defeat of Chievo in the San Siro.
In Germany's Bundesliga there was a big upset as leaders Bayern Munich lost 2-1 at Hannover in a bad-tempered game in which both sides ended with 10 men.
Norway striker Mohammed Abdellaoue and Germany's Christian Pander scored for Hannover to inflict only Bayern's second defeat of the season.
After Abdellaoue converted a 23rd-minute penalty for Hannover, the contest reached a fever pitch with a players from both sides in a mass brawl.
Bayern had defender Jerome Boateng sent off and Pander increased the lead after 50 minutes.
Hannover were also reduced to 10 men when captain Steven Cherundolo was sent off for a foul on Franck Ribery just after the hour mark.
David Alaba pulled a goal back for the leaders with seven minutes left and Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the post, but the home side hung on.
Defending champions Borussia Dortmund won 5-0 against Cologne Saturday and trail Bayern by three points.
View the original article here

Ronaldo grabs hat-trick as Real go top in Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates on his way to a first half hat-trick for Real MadridLionel Messi sees penalty saved as Barcelona held 0-0 by nine-man SevillaReal Madrid take over at top after Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick at MalagaLiverpool held 1-1 by promoted Norwich in English Premier LeagueGerman champions Borussia Dortmund beat Cologne 5-0
(CNN) -- There were contrasting fortunes for the two superstars of La Liga as Lionel Messi missed an injury time penalty for Barcelona in the Nou Camp to allow Real Madrid to go top as Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a quickfire hat-trick.
Messi saw his spot kick sensationally saved by Sevilla keeper Javi Varas as the game ended in a goalless draw.
Ronaldo notched his triple in 15 first half minutes in Real's 4-0 win at Malaga and they lead their arch-rivals by a point.
Barcelona dominated throughout in the late kickoff but they were thwarted by the brilliant Varas, who kept out efforts from Andres Iniesta and David Villa.
In the dying moments, Iniesta was fouled in the area and a penalty was awarded.
I liked everything about the way we played
Jose Mourinho
Sevilla substitute Frederic Kanoute was incensed and knocked the ball off the spot as Messi prepared to take the penalty.
He was also involved in a tussle with Cesc Fabregas before being shown the red card.
After the fracas, Messi was then denied.
There was still time for Sevilla's Fernando Navara to go for a second yellow card as they ended with nine men.
Earlier, Ronaldo rediscovered his scoring touch after Gonzalo Higuain put Real in front after 10 minutes.
"I liked everything about the way we played -- the first touch, the second touch and the way we pressed when we lost the ball," Real coach Jose Mourinho told AFP.
In the English Premier League, Liverpool missed the chance to take closer order in the title race when they were held 1-1 at home by Norwich.
Craig Bellamy put them ahead in first half injury time but the newly-promoted side stunned Anfield as Grant Holt equalized with a header after the break.
Newcastle stayed in fourth and moved level on points with Chelsea with a 1-0 home win over Wigan, who are rock bottom after a sixth straight defeat.
Yohan Cabaye's second half goal continued the surprise start to the season for Alan Pardew's men.
Top two Manchester City and Manchester City meet Sunday with Chelsea and Tottenham also in action.
In the German Bundesliga, reigning champions Borussia Dortmund moved into second place behind Bayern Munich with a 5-0 thumping of Cologne.
Dortmund lost to Olympiakos in the Champions League in midweek but showed no sign of a hangover as Shinji Kagawa put them ahead after just seven minutes.
Marcel Schmelzer made it 2-0 in the 25th minute before Robert Lewandowski, who scored in the Olympiakos defeat, added a third moments before halftime.
His second just after the break and a goal from captain Sebastian Kehl rounded off the win.
Leaders Bayern play Hannover Sunday.
Serie A leaders Juventus missed the chance to open up a big gap at the top in Italy as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Genoa.
Juve are unbeaten after seven games but they have drawn four, and five teams could conceivably overtake them after Sunday's games.
Alessandro Matri twice gave the Turin giants the lead but Marco Rossi and then Andrea Caracciolo, his second equalizer coming five minutes from time, earned Genoa a point.
View the original article here