Higuain's hat-trick keeps Real on top

EUROPEAN ROUND-UP:SPAIN: Gonzalo Higuain netted a clinical hat-trick as Real Madrid romped to a 4-1 victory at struggling Real Valladolid last night and climbed back above Barcelona to the top of La Liga.

Higuain’s Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi earlier scored three sublime goals to fire Barca to a 3-0 win over third-placed Valencia and lift the champions briefly into first place.

A trademark Cristiano Ronaldo free kick set Real on their way in the 28th minute before Higuain scored his 17th, 18th and 19th goals of the campaign to go second behind Messi, who has 22, in the La Liga scoring charts.

Real and Barca both have 65 points from 26 matches, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side ahead on goal difference. Valencia have 47 and Sevilla, who drew 1-1 with Deportivo Coruna on Saturday, are fourth on 44.

ITALY: Substitute Clarence Seedorf fired in a thunderous strike in injury time to give AC Milan a 1-0 win over Chievo last night and cut the gap with Serie A leaders Inter Milan to a point.

Inter lost 3-1 at Catania on Friday and second-placed Milan looked to have wasted their chance to put huge pressure on the leaders until the Dutchman struck. Mid-table Chievo hit the woodwork and had a goal ruled out for offside while Milan’s David Beckham went off with a serious-looking ankle injury.

Third-placed AS Roma were earlier held to a 3-3 draw at Livorno, where Cristiano Lucarelli bagged a hat-trick for the hosts. Wayward Juventus, in fifth, also drew 3-3 with Siena.

SCOTLAND: Tottenham first-team coach Joe Jordan insists there is no chance of Robbie Keane remaining at Celtic beyond the end of his loan period. Keane (29) has scored eight goals, including a hat-trick in Saturday's Scottish Cup win over Kilmarnock. However, Jordan is adamant the striker still has a big role to play at Spurs. He told Scotland's Sunday Herald: "Without a doubt (Keane will return), he's the captain. Harry (Redknapp) brought him back here and he was a major player in getting us out of trouble last season, not just on the pitch, but in the dressingroom as well."

Meanwhile, a late equaliser from Mihael Kovacevic earned Dundee United a 3-3 draw against Rangers yesterday to force their quarter-final to a replay. United took the lead through Andis Shala but Rangers’ Kris Boyd grabbed a double from the penalty spot and Nacho Novo netted a third. United’s were thrown a lifeline thanks to a Steven Whittaker own-goal, before Kovacevic levelled late on.