La Liga title race heats up as Real held by Valencia
Source: Agencies |
April 10, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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VALENCIA blew the title race wide open when it held Real Madrid to a 0-0 draw on Sunday that trimmed the leader's advantage over chasing Barcelona to four points with seven La Liga games left.
Goalkeeper Vicente Guaita was the hero for the visitors in a tense encounter at the Bernabeu as he produced a string of superb saves to frustrate Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema.
Real, which plays Barcelona at the Nou Camp later this month, has 79 points from 31 matches, with Barcelona on 75 after Saturday's 4-1 win at Real Zaragoza and Valencia in third on 49.
Champion Barcelona, chasing a fourth straight title, can cut the gap to one point with a win at home to Getafe today, with Real not playing at Atletico Madrid until tomorrow.
Jose Mourinho's Real side had a 10-point lead over its arch rival three weeks ago but slipped to consecutive draws against Malaga and Villarreal and was held again on Sunday by a spirited and well-organized Valencia side.
Ronaldo struck a fierce drive against the post in the eighth minute and was again denied by an upright with a deflected effort 11 minutes into the second half.
Valencia had chances, too, and a 25th-minute Ricardo Costa header and a powerful Tino Costa shot from long range in the 55th also struck the frame of the goal before Iker Casillas brilliantly denied Jordi Alba with just over five minutes left.
Real poured players forward in the final minutes but could not find a way past an inspired Guaita and now needs to regroup for the potentially tricky clash at cross-town rival Atletico.
It was its first goalless draw at the Bernabeu in more than five years.
"We still have the advantage and we have to keep going," Real midfielder Xabi Alonso said in a television interview.
"Every point is fundamental now and we are focused on our next game."
In the earlier kickoff, Levante climbed above Malaga into fourth and a Champions League qualification slot after Valdo and Arouna Kone struck early in a 2-0 victory at home to Atletico.
The Valencia-based club, this season's surprise package despite a meager budget and an aging squad, has 48 points, one behind its more glamorous city rival.
Malaga has 47 ahead of its match at home to relegation-threatened Racing Santander today.
Athletic Bilbao ended a run of four defeats and a draw when Fernando Llorente's 47th-minute header gave it a 1-0 win at home to Sevilla that lifted the Basque club to 11th.
Goalkeeper Vicente Guaita was the hero for the visitors in a tense encounter at the Bernabeu as he produced a string of superb saves to frustrate Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema.
Real, which plays Barcelona at the Nou Camp later this month, has 79 points from 31 matches, with Barcelona on 75 after Saturday's 4-1 win at Real Zaragoza and Valencia in third on 49.
Champion Barcelona, chasing a fourth straight title, can cut the gap to one point with a win at home to Getafe today, with Real not playing at Atletico Madrid until tomorrow.
Jose Mourinho's Real side had a 10-point lead over its arch rival three weeks ago but slipped to consecutive draws against Malaga and Villarreal and was held again on Sunday by a spirited and well-organized Valencia side.
Ronaldo struck a fierce drive against the post in the eighth minute and was again denied by an upright with a deflected effort 11 minutes into the second half.
Valencia had chances, too, and a 25th-minute Ricardo Costa header and a powerful Tino Costa shot from long range in the 55th also struck the frame of the goal before Iker Casillas brilliantly denied Jordi Alba with just over five minutes left.
Real poured players forward in the final minutes but could not find a way past an inspired Guaita and now needs to regroup for the potentially tricky clash at cross-town rival Atletico.
It was its first goalless draw at the Bernabeu in more than five years.
"We still have the advantage and we have to keep going," Real midfielder Xabi Alonso said in a television interview.
"Every point is fundamental now and we are focused on our next game."
In the earlier kickoff, Levante climbed above Malaga into fourth and a Champions League qualification slot after Valdo and Arouna Kone struck early in a 2-0 victory at home to Atletico.
The Valencia-based club, this season's surprise package despite a meager budget and an aging squad, has 48 points, one behind its more glamorous city rival.
Malaga has 47 ahead of its match at home to relegation-threatened Racing Santander today.
Athletic Bilbao ended a run of four defeats and a draw when Fernando Llorente's 47th-minute header gave it a 1-0 win at home to Sevilla that lifted the Basque club to 11th.
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