Madrid, February 22:

Real Madrid sent an emphatic warning to Champions League opponents Liverpool on Saturday when they thrashed Real Betis 6-1 to move seven points behind leaders Barcelona, who suffered a shock 2-1 derby defeat against Espanyol.

Real scored all their goals in a terrific first half to record a ninth straight league win and they are brimming with confidence for Wednesday’s last 16 Champions League match with Liverpool at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Old boy Ivan de la Pena, who played at Barcelona from 1995 to 1998, scored twice to gun down his old club, who had Seydou Keita sent off after 37 minutes. It was Barcelona’s first defeat since the opening day of the season, ending their 22-match unbeaten run.

Villarreal went fourth thanks to a 2-1 win over Sporting Gijon. Sevilla cemented their third position with a late 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.

Premiership

London: Manchester United let in their first goal in the Premier League in three months, but still stretched their lead at the top of the table with a 2-1 win against an unlucky Blackburn at Old Traffordon on Saturday.

Wayne Rooney put United ahead in the 23rd minute. However, after 1,337 minutes without a dent in their goals against column, Roque Santa Cruz rounded United second-choice goalie Tomasz Kuszczak before finishing from a tight angle. Cristiano Ronaldo made it 2-1 around the half hour mark with a curling free-kick.

Earlier, Guus Hiddink enjoyed a winning start as Chelsea manager after Nicolas Anelka’s goal clinched a 1-0 win at Aston Villa. Arsenal played a 0-0 draw to Sunderland. Stoke City moved two points clear of the relegation zone with a 2-2 draw at home to Portsmouth.