Sevilla thriller trims Barcelona's lead
Source: Agencies |
March 15, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
BARCELONA'S advantage over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga was cut to five points when it surrendered the lead and was held to a 1-1 draw in a thrilling clash at battling Sevilla on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's side had its usual swagger in the first half at the Sanchez Pizjuan and looked to be cruising when substitute Bojan Krkic, who replaced the injured Pedro, put it ahead in the 30th minute. However, after Alvaro Negredo held off two defenders and crossed for Jesus Navas to nod in the equalizer four minutes after halftime the match burst into life, with end-to-end action and both sides coming desperately close to snatching a winner.
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta crashed a shot off the crossbar with just under five minutes remaining and had an effort cleared off the line in added time after goalkeeper Victor Valdes had saved brilliantly from Sevilla winger Navas.
Joint La Liga top scorer Lionel Messi, who had a scare when he hurt his right knee in a clash with Sevilla keeper Javi Varas but was able to play on, also headed against the crossbar in the first half.
Guardiola said the introduction just after the break of Sevilla's Mali striker Frederic Kanoute, who sent Negredo clear in the build-up to the home side's goal and twice came close to scoring, had made the difference.
"They (Sevilla) are a very good team and have been playing at a high level for many years," the former Barca and Spain midfielder said. "Kanoute gave them the continuity that they were missing," he added. "We got too little return for what we created in the first half."
He said he was "generally happy" with the result after his players' efforts in the Champions League on Tuesday, when they overturned a 1-2 first-leg deficit to eliminate English club Arsenal 4-3 on aggregate and reach the last eight.
Villarreal missed a chance to trim the gap to third-placed Valencia to one point earlier when it conceded a late penalty to gift nine-man Sporting Gijon a 1-1 draw. Giuseppe Rossi had put Villarreal ahead in the 29th minute at the Madrigal but David Barral went down in the penalty area in added time and Diego Castro converted the spot kick.
In other matches, Espanyol ended a run of six defeats in its last seven matches when it beat 10-man Deportivo Coruna 2-0 to climb above Athletic Bilbao into fifth on 43 points.
Pep Guardiola's side had its usual swagger in the first half at the Sanchez Pizjuan and looked to be cruising when substitute Bojan Krkic, who replaced the injured Pedro, put it ahead in the 30th minute. However, after Alvaro Negredo held off two defenders and crossed for Jesus Navas to nod in the equalizer four minutes after halftime the match burst into life, with end-to-end action and both sides coming desperately close to snatching a winner.
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta crashed a shot off the crossbar with just under five minutes remaining and had an effort cleared off the line in added time after goalkeeper Victor Valdes had saved brilliantly from Sevilla winger Navas.
Joint La Liga top scorer Lionel Messi, who had a scare when he hurt his right knee in a clash with Sevilla keeper Javi Varas but was able to play on, also headed against the crossbar in the first half.
Guardiola said the introduction just after the break of Sevilla's Mali striker Frederic Kanoute, who sent Negredo clear in the build-up to the home side's goal and twice came close to scoring, had made the difference.
"They (Sevilla) are a very good team and have been playing at a high level for many years," the former Barca and Spain midfielder said. "Kanoute gave them the continuity that they were missing," he added. "We got too little return for what we created in the first half."
He said he was "generally happy" with the result after his players' efforts in the Champions League on Tuesday, when they overturned a 1-2 first-leg deficit to eliminate English club Arsenal 4-3 on aggregate and reach the last eight.
Villarreal missed a chance to trim the gap to third-placed Valencia to one point earlier when it conceded a late penalty to gift nine-man Sporting Gijon a 1-1 draw. Giuseppe Rossi had put Villarreal ahead in the 29th minute at the Madrigal but David Barral went down in the penalty area in added time and Diego Castro converted the spot kick.
In other matches, Espanyol ended a run of six defeats in its last seven matches when it beat 10-man Deportivo Coruna 2-0 to climb above Athletic Bilbao into fifth on 43 points.
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