Samuel Eto’o scores hat trick in Inter Milan’s 4-0 Champions League rout of Werder Bremen

Eto’o scores hat trick as Inter routs Werder 4-0

Samuel Eto’o scored three goals to raise his season total to 11, leading defending champion Inter Milan over visiting Werder Bremen 4-0 Wednesday night in the first round of the European Champions League.

With Diego Milito sidelined by a a thigh injury, Eto’o scored off a pass from Esteban Cambiasso in the 21st minute, ran onto a long pass by Lucio for his second goal in the 27th and rounded and goalkeeper Tim Wiese to score in the 81st. Eto’o also set up Wesley Sneijder for a goal in the 34th.

“In the past Samuel has played in the middle and on the right,” Inter coach Rafael Benitez said. “This year he has been playing more to the left and been getting nearer the goal. Tonight he played as the central striker and when he is near the goal he is always dangerous.”

Eto’o has five goals in the Serie A, four in the Champions League and two in the Italian Super Cup.

“We knew that Eto’o and Sneijder were great players,” Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said, “but I’m not sure if tonight was their birthdays, as we gave them so many presents.”

Tottenham routed visiting Twente 4-1 for its first-ever Champions League victory. Rafael van der Vaart put Spurs ahead with a 47th-minute penalty kick, then was ejected in the 61st for his second yellow card, for a high challenge on Roberto Rosales. Roman Pavlyuchenko converted two more penalty kicks, and Gareth Bale scored with five minutes left. Nacer Chadli had 56th-minute goal for the Dutch team.

“I was worried we wouldn’t win the game but in the end the guys played fantastic,” said Vander Vaart, suspended for the Oct. 20 game at Inter. “”It was a strange game for me. I scored, missed a penalty and was also sent off.”

Inter and Tottenham (both 1-0-1) each have four points in Group A, while Werder Bremen and Twente (both 0-1-1) each have one.

Javier Hernandez entered in the 77th minute and scored his first Champions League goal in the 86th, giving 2008 champion Manchester United a 1-0 win at Valencia in Group C.

“I think what Chicharito did was he brought us penetration,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “Just before he scored he made a great run in behind their defense, and that was what we needed at that stage of the game.”

Steven Naismith scored in the 18th minute to give Glasgow Rangers a 1-0 win over visiting Bursaspor in Group C, ending the Scottish club’s 13-game Champions League winless streak. American midfielder Maurice Edu dragged a shot just wide for Rangers in the 54th.

Manchester United and Rangers are both 1-0-1 with four points, while Valencia (1-1) has three and Buraspor (0-2) none.

FIFA player of the year Lionel Messi returned from an ankle injury in just 10 days, entering in the 60th minute as 2009 champion Barcelona was held to a 1-1 tie at Russia’s Rubin Kazan.

Christian Noboa put Rubin in the lead with a 30th-minute penalty kick after Daniel Alves fouled Vitali Kaleshin. Villa converted a 60th-minute penalty kick after Lasha Salukvadze fouled Andres Iniesta. Last year, Rubin Kazan had a win and a draw against Barcelona in the group stage.

Copenhagen won 2-0 at Panathinaikos as Dame N’Doye scored against his former club in the 28th minute and Martin Vingaard added a goal on a free kick nine minutes later. Panathinaikos’ Gilberto Silva was ejected four minutes into the second half for his second yellow card.

Copenhagen (2-0) leads Group D with six points, followed by Barcelona (1-0-1) with four, Rubin Kazan (0-0-1) with one and Panathinaikos (0-2) with none.

Jefferson Farfan scored in the 73rd minute and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar poked home a cross from American midfielder Jermaine Jones in the 85th to give Schalke (1-0-1) a 2-0 victory over visiting Benfica (1-0-1) in Group B.

Lyon (2-0) leads the group with six points following a 3-1 win at Hapoel Tel Aviv (0-2). Michel Bastos scored twice, including one on a penalty kick, and Miralem Pjanic added a goal in second-half stoppage time. Vincent Enyeama converted a 79th-minute penalty kick for Hapoel.