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MADRID - Lionel Messi scored a hat trick to give Barcelona a 4-3 win at 10-man Real Madrid in an electrifying and contentious "clasico" match that kept the three-way Spanish league title race wide open. The result means Atletico Madrid now tops the table, with Madrid level on points in second and Barcelona a point behind in third with nine games remaining as the title race shapes up to be the closest in years. In a game that saw three penalties, a red card and a host of missed chances, Andres Iniesta set the tone by rocketing home an early opener, only for Karim Benzemas brace to put the hosts ahead by the 24th. The teams went into the break level at 2-2 after Messi slotted in an equalizer, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to re-establish Madrids lead with a 55th-minute penalty. But Messi scored a pair of penalties after that — including the 65th-minute equalizer after Sergio Ramos was sent off — to end Madrids 31-game unbeaten run stretching back to the last "clasico" in October. Atleticos 2-0 victory at last-place Real Betis earlier on Sunday means it leads Madrid on head-to-head with the city rivals level on 70 points. Barcelona is on 69 points. The high pace of play and buzzing atmosphere inside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium left little doubt this was a "clasico" with much at stake. Messi spotted Iniestas run down the left side seven minutes in and slid a perfect ball clear into the area for him to lift into the top of goal to kickstart the memorable match. Madrid winger Angel Di Maria troubled right back Dani Alves throughout, especially when he twice set up Benzema with crosses from the left side, with the France striker nodding home the first in the 20th before controlling the second to smash a right-footed volley beyond Victor Valdes. The goalkeeper got a glove to Benzemas opener but couldnt keep it out. The strengths and philosophies of each club were apparent as Barcelona looked to set the tempo through possession while Madrid always looked dangerous when breaking on the counter. Madrids defence nodded off when Neymar and Messis hopeful combination came to fruition and the Argentina star could equalize before halftime, with Benzema left ruing a number of missed chances that could have given Madrid control. Gareth Bales speed provided problems for Barcelona down the right, but Ronaldo was equally troublesome along the left and he was tripped by Dani Alves after the break to set up the penalty for his league-leading 26th goal that put Madrid back on top. However, eplays showed the contact had taken place just outside the penalty area. But Barcelona replied when Ramos was shown a straight red for tangling with Neymar and Messi stepped to equalize again. Benzema then came off as Madrid looked to defend the draw, with Barcelona patiently coming forward and Dani Alves sending a shot off the post in the 74th. Iniesta was then taken down by Xabi Alonso and Dani Carvajal in the area to set up the 84th-minute spot kick that Messi slotted home for his 21st goal of the season. Messi climbed to No. 2 on the Spanish leagues all-time scoring list with 235 goals, passing Hugo Sanchez. He also became the leading scorer in "clasico" matches with 21 goals, bettering the mark of 18 he shared with Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano. ___ Follow Paul Logothetis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulLogoAP Cheap Rockies Jerseys . Pistorius denied the allegation that he said to the close friend of the girlfriend he killed: "How can you sleep at night?" The accusation by Kim Myers provided a bizarre twist during the trial of the world-famous double-amputee Olympian, who is facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder for shooting dead Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, at his home last year. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . The Redblacks host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (7-9) Friday night in their last home game of the year and as of Thursday afternoon, the team was anticipating a ninth consecutive sellout. You can watch all the action on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5 beginning at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. http://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.com/?tag=...d-helton-jersey. And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Pat Valaika Jersey . It was the most lopsided loss in Lakers history. Darren Collison had a team-high 24 points while starting at shooting guard for the injured Jamal Crawford. Chris Paul added 13 points and 11 assists for the Clippers, who apparently are trying to make up for decades of humiliation at the hands of the Lakers all in one season; theyve won the last two meetings by a combined 84 points. Daniel Castro Jersey . The two-time former Formula One champion downplayed his third-place finish three weeks ago in China and said progress is going slow for Ferrari as it tries to make up ground on Mercedes.Orchard Park, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Marcus Thigpen had a punt return for a touchdown and Dan Carpenter hit four field goals as the Buffalo Bills pulled off a 21-13 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Kyle Orton went just 14-for-27 for 158 yards with an interception, while Fred Jackson added 71 yards on 20 carries for the Bills (8-6), who have won three of their last four games and also finished 4-0 against the NFC North this season. The running backs had a really good game today, both on the ground and with passing, said Orton. They were able to get the tough yards when we needed them. Buffalo was able to keep pace in the hunt for a wild card spot, and got some help thanks to losses by Miami and Houston. Pittsburgh and Baltimore currently hold the wild card spots with nine wins apiece. I think the whole defense played at a very high level, said Buffalo head coach Doug Marrone. The guys have done a good job all year and when you have a defensive effort like this you see how hard they work. Aaron Rodgers had his worst game of the year, as he was a paltry 17-for-42 for 185 yards with two interceptions, along with a fumble on his final possession that turned into a safety. It was a frustrating game, they did a good job on defense, said Rodgers. We had some great opportunities, and just didnt execute on offense. The Packers (10-4) had a five-game winning streak stopped and saw their lead in the NFC North trimmed to just one-half game over Detroit. The Lions are currently hosting the Vikings, and should they win, will have control of the division for the time being. We knew this was going to be a tough game because this is a tough place to play, said Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy. They more big plays than we did and this is where we are. Buffalo started the second half with the ball and the game tied, but took the lead on a 51-yard field goal from Carpenter. Anthony Dixon was able to convert a pair of short third downs on the drive. After forcing a Green Bay punt, the Bills got the ball back at their own 22 and the first snap saw Jackson go for 13 yards. Bryce Brown caught a short pass and took it 40 yards down to the Green Bay 19. The drive stalled there, though, and Carpenter hit a 35-yard field goal for a 16-10 advantage with 4:18 left in the third. The Bills then pulled off a big turnover, as Bacarri Rambo picked off Rodgers. However, they were unable to take advantage and had to punt. Once again, though, it was Rambo coming up with the big play as he again picked off Rodgers to give his team the ball back near midffield and that led to a 48-yard field goal from Carpenter for a nine-point lead with 9:23 to play.dddddddddddd Green Bay was able to answer on its ensuing touch, as Rodgers guided his team on a 10-play, 66-yard drive that Mason Crosby finished with a 34-yard field goal to make it 19-13 with 4:51 to play. The Packers eventually forced a punt and got the ball back at their own 10 inside the two-minute warning. On the first play, though, Mario Williams was able to rush around the corner and stripped the ball out of Rodgers hands, and the ball fell into the end zone where Eddie Lacy picked it up. By rule, though, the ball was dead as soon as Lacy touched it and the Bills were awarded a safety, and Orton went into the victory formation after the team got the ball back. The first four possessions ended in punts before Green Bay was able to put points on the board on its third touch. Rodgers converted a 3rd-and-8 with a 19-yard scramble, which turned out to be the biggest gain of the drive. Crosby booted a 45-yard field goal to give the team a 3-0 lead with 4:27 to play in the first quarter. Buffalo then had to punt and Green Bay was forced to a three-and-out, but the Bills special teams came up with a big play. Thigpen fielded the ball at the 25 and cut it back to the left, racing down the sideline then cutting back right to get into the end zone for a 75-yard score and a 7-3 lead. Lacys first three carries on Green Bays next drive went for 15, 17, and 22 yards. An 11-yard catch from Randall Cobb down to the Buffalo 1 set up Lacys bull rush into the end zone for a 10-7 lead less than a minute into the second quarter. The Bills came right back to tie the game as a 10-play, 71-yard drive was finished on a 27-yard field goal from Carpenter with 8:04 to play in the first half. Crosby lined up for a 53-yard field goal attempt on the Packers next possession, but Williams was able to get a hand on the ball. Game Notes Rodgers had just three interceptions coming into the game, and it was his first interception in 203 pass attempts ... Lacy totaled 97 yards on 15 carries ... Buffalo leads the series with Green Bay, 8-4, and has never lost to the Packers in Orchard Park ... Buffalo controlled the ball for nearly 33 minutes ... The Bills finished the home portion of their season with a 5-3 mark, and play games in Oakland and New England to finish the regular season ... Green Bay plays at Tampa Bay next, before a home matchup with Detroit to close the regular season. ' ' '