Sevilla miss chance with defeat by Osasuna

Third-placed Sevilla missed the chance to put pressure on their rivals for a Champions League place when they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to struggling Osasuna in the Primera Liga on Saturday.

Striker Richard Morales grabbed the winner with a classy volley midway through the first half to put the finishing touch to a slick counter attack and allow the Navarrans to ease their relegation worries with their second win of the year.

Atletico Madrid and Espanyol failed to capitalise on Sevilla's slip-up as they drew 0-0 at the Calderon in a game marred by another incident of racist behaviour by the home side's radical fans who threw a banana at keeper Carlos Kameni.

The Cameroon international saved the day for the visitors, though, guessing right to turn a Fernando Torres penalty round the post just after the hour and then producing a marvellous reflex stop to deny the striker in the closing minutes.

Sevilla, despite their defeat, remain third in the table but the Andalucians are only one point ahead of Villarreal who have two games in hand. Espanyol move up to fifth on 50 points, level with Real Betis who travel to Villarreal on Sunday.

Deportivo Coruna failed to take advantage of the earlier results when they lost 1-0 at mid-table Real Sociedad in the late match, midfielder Gari Uranga scoring the winner for the home side with a spectacular diving header in the first half.

Defeat left the Galicians, who have not finished outside the top three in the last five seasons, marooned in ninth place, four points adrift of Betis.

Barcelona, who had their lead at the top of the table cut to six points after last week's 4-2 defeat at Real Madrid, host Getafe on Sunday, while their title rivals visit Levante.

Osasuna, who claimed their first win in 13 games and their first of 2005 with a scrappy 1-0 victory at home to Racing Santander last week, shocked Sevilla when they took the lead after 26 minutes.

Uruguayan striker Morales guided a well-taken volley past Sevilla goalkeeper Antonio Notario at the far post after midfielder Ludovic Delporte had whipped in a superb cross from the left to complete a slickly worked counter-attack.

Sevilla, a mere shadow of the side that won 3-1 at Espanyol last week, struggled to create any danger and it was the visitors who continued to take the initiative after the break.

Cameroon striker Pierre Webo went close to extending the Osasuna lead at the start of the second half but his venomous 30-metre drive was scrambled away for a corner by Notario.

The Andalucians finally awoke from their slumber late in the game but were denied an equaliser when Osasuna keeper Juantxo Elia scrambled a Julio Baptista header off the line just before the final whistle.