Champions Barcelona slip-up

May 24, 2009

MADRID (AFP) – Freshly crowned Spanish champions Barcelona prepared for next week’s Champions League showdown with Manchester United by uffering their second successive league loss.

Saturday’s 1-0 reverse at Osasuna came on the back of last week’s defeat to Real Mallorca, but it came as coach Pep Guardiola rested a clutch of his first team players.

Barcelona are sitting on 86 points with only one league game to go which menas they cannot beat Real Madrid’s record points haul of 92 achieved in the 1996/97 season.

But victory at Deportivo La Coruna next weekend will give them a share of Atletico Madrid’s record of 14 away wins in a season.

Barca lost out to a 26th minute goal from Osasuna’s Pandiani.

With just four days before the Rome meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson’s United Barca were missing Lionel Messi with Xavi and Victor Valdes on the bench. Samule Eto’o was replaced half an hour from the end.

Real Madrid are in action on Sunday against Mallorca.

Behind these two Sevilla, with a last minute 1-0 win over Deportivo, ensured third place and their place in next season’s Champions League.

The fight for fourth-spot which ensures a berth in the Champions League qualifying round is between Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.

Atletico crushed Athletic Bilbao 4-1 thanks to Diego Forlan’s hat-trick.

The Uruguayan is now the league’s top scorer with 31 goals with Eto’o on 29.

Villarreal beat Valencia 3-1 to keep themselves in the hunt for a place in Europe.

At the other end of the table Recreativo Huelva and Numancia will both be playing in the second division next season after respectively losing to Racing Santander and Getafe.

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