Leeds crushes Newcastle, Betis fairy tale continues in Spain, Roma and Inter stay tied atop Serie A

MADRID (AP) — Leeds hammered woeful Newcastle 4-1 to go third in the Premier League on Monday while Real Betis won 2-1 at Villarreal to move equal on points with second-place Real Madrid in La Liga.

The top two in Italy, Roma and Inter Milan, won comfortably to maintain their 100 per cent records and Como beat Parma 2-1 to climb into third spot.

Betis’ fairy tale start to the Spanish season continued with victory over Villarreal.

The win, courtesy of goals from Cucho Hernández and Natan, came 10 days after it beat Real Madrid 1-0 in La Liga, and less than a week after it overcame Lille 3-2 in its first Champions League group match since 2005.

The result at Estadio de la Ceramica lifts Betis into second place, tied with Madrid on 12 points. Barcelona is top on 15.

It was another disappointing night for the home side, which is still to win this season and sits third-bottom with two points from five matches.

In Italy, Roma continued its superb start to the season with a 2-0 win over Torino. It was joined at the top of the table by the only other team with maximum points, Inter Milan, which came from behind to crush Udinese 5-3.

Both teams have 12 points from four games, although Roma is first on goal difference after what was its ninth consecutive victory.

In-form striker Donyell Malen scored his sixth goal in four games to put Roma ahead and Niccolò Pisilli got a deserved second in stoppage time.

Inter struggled to get going against Udinese, which looked set to continue its good run of away form by scoring twice without reply in the opening 16 minutes.

James Abankwah rose unmarked to head Udinese ahead in the ninth minute and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp doubled its lead seven minutes later.

However, Carlos Augusto got a goal back for the reigning champion after 26 minutes with a 30-yard strike and Nicolo Barella equalized 10 minutes before half time.

Marcus Thuram, Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny scored in a commanding second half, and although Idrissa Gueye grabbed a third for Udinese in stoppage time it was nowhere near enough for the visitor.

In Como, the home side moved into the top three with a 2-1 win over Parma.

Jacobo Ramon turned Nico Paz’s shot in for the opener midway through the first half and Kaiki made it 2-0 seven minutes from time after a goalmouth scramble. Jose David Romero got Parma’s consolation in stoppage time.

Como is third on 10 points along with Lazio.

In England, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the star man as Leeds overran a flimsy Newcastle side.

The home team turned it on during a sparkling first half and took the lead in the 32nd minute when Ao Tanaka’s shot from the edge of the box took a double deflection to bamboozle Newcastle keeper Lukas Hornicek.

Three minutes later, sloppy defending led to Calvert-Lewin making a second with a trademark header, the goal being marked down to Jayden Bogle after the ball went in off his head.

Calvert-Lewin then grabbed his fourth goal in four games on the stroke of half time. Noah Okafor rounded off the scoring for Leeds with a half volley after another weak clearance early in the second period.

Newcastle’s consolation goal came in the final minute from substitute Bazoumana Touré.

The result lifts Leeds into third place in the Premier League, equal with Hull on eight points, four behind joint leaders Arsenal and Manchester City.

Newcastle is 12th.

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