Real Madrid slips up again
Real Madrid remains nine points behind Primera Liga leaders Barcelona after Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to Sevilla at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid remains nine points behind Primera Liga leaders Barcelona after Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to Sevilla at the Bernabeu.
Sevilla took the lead through Adriano and although Raul equalized, Sevilla led 3-1 at the break through Ndri Romaric and Frederic Kanoute.
Higuain made it 3-2 in the 66th minute and two minutes later Madrid was level when the unlikely figure of Fernando Gago headed home Guti’s free kick.
However, the dismissal of Arjen Robben, shown a second yellow card for arguing with the referee, disrupted their momentum and Renato headed an 85th-minute winner for the visitors.
The defeat, Madrid’s third in its last four league games, not only drops the champion down to fifth place, but also puts it under even more pressure ahead of its trip to the Nou Camp next weekend.
Thierry Henry bagged a hat trick Saturday night as a classy Barcelona swept aside Valencia, 4-0, with an exhilarating exhibition of total football at the Nou Camp. Daniel Alves was also on target for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Also on Saturday, second-placed Villarreal was held to a 3-3 draw at home by Getafe.
Late goals from Sebastian Eguren and Giuseppe Rossi saw the Yellow Submarine come back from 3-1 down to snatch a point and avoid a second successive home defeat.
Atletico Madrid produced only its second away league win of the season with an emphatic 5-2 victory at in-form Sporting Gijon.
Star strike pairing Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan scored two apiece with Maxi Rodriguez also on the scoresheet as the Champions League hopefuls routed their hosts.
Elsewhere on Sunday, second-half goals from Angel Lafita and Omar Bravo enabled Deportivo La Coruna to see off Malaga 2-0, a third consecutive win which keeps them in contention for a UEFA Cup place.
Espanyol came from behind to draw 1-1 against in-form Real Betis in its first game under new coach Jose Manuel Esnal ‘Mane’.
Achille Emana appeared to be guiding Paco Chapparo’s men to a sixth win in eight matches early in the second half but substitute Coro beat the offside trap to net an unlikely 71st-minute equalizer.
Recreativo Huelva twice came from behind to beat Real Mallorca, 3-2, in an entertaining match at Son Moix and move off the bottom - David Navarro and Jose Manuel Jurado netting in vain for the hosts as Marco Ruben, Adrian Colunga and Javi Fuego struck for the visitors.
Replacing Recre at the bottom of the table are Osasuna - victims of a spectacular Real Valladolid comeback at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra.
Goals by Dady (two) and Javad Nekounam ensured the hosts were firmly in control at the break but Henok Goitom clawed one back on the hour, the unfortunate Miguel Flano headed into his own net five minutes later, then four minutes from time substitute Bartholomew Ogbeche completed the comeback.
A red card and a goalkeeping howler denied Athletic Bilbao their first away win of the season against Racing Santander at El Sardinero.
The Basques appeared to be on course for three points against their local rivals when Francisco Yeste put them ahead with a deflected free-kick early in the second half but the tide turned against them when Pablo Orbaiz was dismissed for his second yellow card and the Cantabrians hit back to steal a point when Gorka Iraizoz spilled a cross from Gonzalo Colsa into his own net with seven minutes left.
Asier Goiria’s second-half winner handed 10-man Numancia a vital 2-1 win over Almeria in their battle against relegation.
Almeria took an undeserved lead through Esteban Solari’s controversial penalty but goals from Javier Del Pino and Goiria turned things round, despite the dismissal of Jose Barkero.