Real lose 1-0 to Depor as Riazor jinx continues
The Spanish champions have not won in La Coruna since November 1991 and never looked like breaking the sequence after losing to a second-half own-goal by Portugal defender Pepe.
Real stay eight points clear of second-placed Barcelona, who have 54, but Frank Rijkaard’s side can close to within five with a win in Almeria on Sunday.
“I don’t think we played a good game but I think a 0-0 draw would have been a fair result,” Real coach Bernd Schuster said.
The match between Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera was abandoned midway through the second half with the score at 2-1 after Bilbao goalkeeper Armando was hit in the face by a bottle thrown from the stands.
Armando had stitches for a cut near his eye.
In the late game, Brazil striker Luis Fabiano took his tally for the season to 22 with both goals in Sevilla’s 2-0 win at Valencia.
The first was a well-taken free-kick in the 11th minute and the second came soon after as he diverted Seydou Keita’s long-range shot past Timo Hildebrand.
Although defender Raul Albiol pulled one back right at the end, Valencia and their under-fire coach Ronald Koeman left the pitch to a barrage of whistles from the home crowd.
Sevilla climbed to fourth place with 45 points, one ahead of Atletico Madrid and Racing Santander who play Levante and Getafe respectively on Sunday.
At the foot of the table, Real Murcia’s chances of avoiding relegation suffered a blow when they lost 4-2 at fellow strugglers Recreativo Huelva. French striker Florent Sinama Pongolle bagged a brace for Recre.
Real lacked pace and ideas at the Riazor as they were comfortably kept at bay by a Depor side steadily growing in confidence.
The game turned against the visitors when Depor’s Brazilian defender Filipe cut in from the left flank and crossed to the near post in the 58th minute and the ball flew past Iker Casillas off Pepe’s outstretched knee.
It was Real’s fourth away defeat from their last five games in all competitions.