Benzema double keeps Real in Barcelona slipstream

January 31, 2010

A delightful back-heel from Jose Maria Gutierrez set up Karim Benzema for the first of a brace as Real Madrid, without suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, beat Deportivo La Coruna 3-1 on Saturday.

The win kept Real five points behind Barcelona who had earlier defeated Sporting Gijon 1-0 to stay top of La Liga in a game which also saw the champions reach the 50-goal mark for the league season.

Esteban Granero headed Real ahead after 13 minutes with the game played out in the home side’s half at the Riazor where the Madrid giants had not won for almost 20 years.

With Felipe Luis injured, Manuel Pablo moved to the left-hand side and the defence never looked comfortable especially against the pace of Benzema.

Raul Gonzalez had the chance to add to the lead with a close-range volley before a moment of real quality from Guti.

Through on goal instead of shooting on his weaker right foot, he back-heeled the ball into the path of Benzema to slot home.

Deportivo had their chances in the second half as Real took their foot off the gas and in a late rally Ivan Riki scored a penalty. The last word though was from Benzema who wrapped up the scoring in injury time.

“We went out to get the result from the very start even though this was not a win at all costs game. We knew how to deal with an important match against a good side,” said Real coach Manuel Pellegrini.

“I am very happy with the win because it was in a stadium which traditionally has been a difficult place to come for Real Madrid and also because we played well, although it did get a bit tight at the end.”

Barcelona stayed top after Pedro Rodriguez scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Sporting Gijon.

Mate Bilic went close with a header for the home side before Pedro put the visitors ahead with a clinical finish from a defence-breaking through ball by Andres Iniesta on the 30-minute mark.

“This is a good result for us because we played in a stadium where very few teams have won,” said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.

“My only regret is that is that we did not make the right decisions in the final moments of the game that would have made the result a lot more comfortable.”

Sporting coach Manolo Preciado though felt that the free-kick that led up to Barca’s goal was not correctly taken.

“That goal was first of all an error from the referee and then from us but this is part of football, sometimes it goes for you and others not,” he said.

A Luis Garcia strike saw Espanyol overcome Athletic Bilbao 1-0 in a scrappy match to give them breathing space at the bottom of La Liga earlier Saturday.

The home side dominated from the start a match in which injury-hit Athletic were never able to get into their stride.

The Athletic keeper Gorka Iraizoz made a couple of important interventions in the first half but he was powerless to block Garcia’s close-range winner on 58 minutes after good work from Javi Marquez down the left wing.

The result moves Espanyol six points clear of the relegation zone but for Athletic, who are chasing a place in Europe, they have now lost back-to-back games.

Despite only managing a draw away to lowly Tenerife, Valencia are well placed to qualify for the Champions League but on Sunday they face a crucial game against fellow aspirants Sevilla who have dropped off the pace since Christmas after losing three of their last four matches.

BARCELONA (AFP)

Tags: Andres Iniesta, Barcelona, Bilbao, close range, Esteban Granero, Europe, Felipe Luis, five points, goal mark, guti, injury time, ivan riki, Jose Maria, Karim Benzema, la coruna, last word, left hand side, luis garcia, MADRID, Manuel Pablo, manuel pellegrini, Pedro, pedro rodriguez, pep guardiola, raul gonzalez, real madrid, riazor, right foot, ronaldo, SEVILLA, sporting gijon, Tenerife, Valencia

Relentless Barcelona look to keep pressure on

January 30, 2010

League leaders Barcelona head into the second half of the season unbeaten and their imperious form shows little side of subsiding to allow Real Madrid to close the five-point gap at the top.

They joined a select group of teams to go the first 19 games of the season without defeat after sweeping aside Valladolid and now it is the turn of Sporting Gijon to try and stop the side that won all six trophies they competed for in 2009.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola remains cautious though and believes there will be plenty of twists and turns still to come.

“This is just an anecdote, last year at this stage of the season we had a 12 point lead over Madrid and in the end we had to go to the Bernabeu and win,” he said.

Barca have won their last three league games scoring 12 goals in the process and Xavi Hernandez’s performances have been instrumental.

He joined the debate this week about the sending off of Cristiano Ronaldo against Malaga that will see the Portuguese suspended for the next two matches.

Ronaldo swung his arm at Patrick Mtliga which led to his dismissal but there are strong claims from Madrid that he was unfairly treated as a similar incident involving Barcelona’s Leo Messi against Sevilla went unpunished.

“I don’t think you can compare the two situations because you have to take into consideration the intent. Leo wanted to keep playing and Cristiano wanted to hit out and then keep playing,” said Xavi.

The loss of Ronaldo is a major blow for Real, who now take on Deportivo la Coruna, as they have become dependent on the Portuguese, who grabbed the two goals in the victory over Malaga.

Real are set still to be without Rafael Van der Vaart and Gonzalo Higuain for what will be a difficult match against a rejuvenated Deportivo side.

The Galicians will be missing Felipe Luis, who suffered a horrendous broken ankle last weekend against Athletic Bilbao and will lose the rest of the season.

Despite only managing a draw away to lowly Tenerife, Valencia are well placed to qualify for the Champions League but they face a crucial game against fellow aspirants Sevilla, who have dropped off the pace since Christmas after losing three of their last four matches.

“This is a final because if we win then we can have a big cushion above one of our strongest rivals. We are performing well but we need to keep this going as nobody is going to give us anything from now on,” said Valencia striker David Villa.

Mallorca continue to be the real surprise this season as they fight among the top four in the championship.

They showed their resilience to draw with Espanyol after going a goal down and now will be looking for victory against bottom side Xerez, who are really struggling to pick up any points at the moment.

In fact the only point they have won in recent weeks was against Zaragoza who are in similar straits and are now suffering internal strife with captain Roberto Ayala having rescinded his contract.

They face a relegation battle against third-from bottom Tenerife.

Getafe and Athletic Bilbao, who take on Racing Santander and Espanyol respectively, are in the hunt for a place in Europe but also coming into the frame are Villarreal, who had a poor start to the season, and they play Osasuna.

Atletico Madrid face Malaga with the pressure on coach Quique Sanchez as the side has failed to show any real signs of improvement since he took over and the club is firmly rooted in mid-table.

There will be plenty of anxiety also in the clash between Valladolid and Almeria as they both lie on the fringes of the drop zone.

Fixtures (Times in GMT)

Saturday

Espanyol v Athletic Bilbao (17.00), Sporting v Barcelona (19.00), Deportivo la Coruna v Real Madrid (21.00)

Sunday (1600 GMT)

Villarreal v Osasuna, Valladolid v Almeria, Xerez v Mallorca, Tenerife v Zaragoza, Getafe v Racing Santander, Atletico Madrid v Malaga (18.00), Sevilla v Valencia (20.00)

BARCELONA (AFP)

Tags: anecdote, athletic bilbao, barca, bernabeu, galicians, gonzalo higuain, la coruna, league games, league leaders, leo messi, pep guardiola, point gap, rafael van der vaart, real madrid, ronaldo, s leo, select group, sporting gijon, van der vaart, xavi hernandez

Villa´s Gardner set to leave for Birmingham

January 23, 2010

Former England Under-21 international midfielder Craig Gardner is set to join highflying Premier League side Birmingham City from city rivals and League Cup finalists Aston Villa for 3million pounds.

The 23-year-old will sign for Birmingham – who are eighth in the table just a place below Villa – provided he passes a medical and agrees personal terms.

Gardner, who scored twice in 14 appearances for the England Under-21 side, played over 50 times for Villa but because of back and groin injuries has only appeared three times this season.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish was delighted to have agreed a fee for Gardner as he is capable of playing at right back as well.

“Craig is a versatile and dynamic player who can perform in a number of positions,” said McLeish, who has stunned observers in making Birmingham contenders for a European place next season and not battling against relegation as many expected them to be.

“Players like that are really worth their weight in gold.”

The Blues had a bid for Gardner turned down on Sunday but returned to Villa with an improved offer.

Gardner will be Birmingham’s second signing during the transfer window and since Carson Yeung took over the club after they signed Spanish midfielder Miguel Marcos Michel for 3million pounds from Sporting Gijon earlier this month.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: AFP, alex mcleish, Birmingham, birmingham city, carson yeung, city rivals, contenders, Craig, craig gardner, dynamic player, England, Gardner, gold, groin injuries, london, midfielder, Miguel Marcos Michel, observers, personal terms, premier league, relegation, sporting gijon, three times

Surprise packages Deportivo and Real Mallorca clash

January 17, 2010

Valencia host rivals Villarreal on Sunday as both sides aim to bounce back from their midweek cup exits to Deportivo La Coruna and Celta Vigo respectively.

Villarreal have been climbing towards the European spots after a horrid start and Valencia will be keen to move further away from a side that finished league runners-up two seasons ago.

Fresh from their thrilling cup win over Valencia, Deportivo travel to Real Mallorca on Sunday in a clash between the two surprise packages of the season.

Depor are fourth while Mallorca are a point behind in sixth going into the game at the Ono Stadium.

Mallorca have a perfect eight wins at home which has been the platform for their impressive season while Depor’s miserly defence has been at the heart of their success with just 16 goals conceded in 17 matches.

A relegation battle takes place on Sunday when Real Zaragoza and Xerez, the bottom two sides, lock horns at the Romareda.

Xerez sacked their manager Jose Angel Ziganda this week after the club won just one of their first 17 matches and technical secretary Antonio Poyatos takes charge of first team affairs on an interim basis.

Zaragoza’s new coach Jose Aurelio Gay has only been in charge three games himself and has collected just one point from nine as he waits for a first win.

Fixtures

Sunday – all 1600 GMT unless stated

Malaga v Getafe, Racing Santander v Valladolid, Almeria v Tenerife, Real Zaragoza v Xerez, Real Mallorca v Deportivo La Coruna, Atletico Madrid v Sporting Gijon (1800 GMT), Valencia v Villarreal (2000 GMT)

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: Antonio Poyatos, atletico madrid, aurelio, depor, deportivo la coruna, getafe, impressive season, interim basis, jose angel, Jose Aurelio, jose aurelio gay, la coruna, MADRID, Malaga, Ono Stadium, racing santander, real mallorca, real zaragoza, santander, sporting gijon, surprise packages, technical secretary, valladolid, Vigo, xerez, Zaragoza

Michel to get time to settle at Birmingham

January 12, 2010

Miguel Marcos Michel, the Spanish midfielder who has become Birmingham’s first signing since Carson Yeung’s takeover of the club, will not be rushed into Premier League action, Blues boss Alex McLeish has signalled.

Michel, 24, who completed a three-million-pound transfer from Sporting Gijon on Monday, faces a battle to establish himself in a midfield in which experienced pair Barry Ferguson and Lee Bowyer have been outstanding in Birmingham’s 13-match unbeaten run.

And McLeish believes his newest recruit will need time to settle into English life and football.

“Sometimes it’s not easy for a player, especially coming from a foreign country, to come in and hit the ground running,” the former Scotland boss said.

“He’ll need time to get to know his team-mates and see the sort of demands we ask from players in training.

“We can also see if we can add a wee bit to his game and improve him all round as a player.

“But the bonus is that, because we’re doing so well, he has got additional time to settle.”

McLeish first attempted to sign Michel before the start of the season and he was relieved that Yeung’s financial backing finally made the deal possible.

“I’m very pleased he’s signed as I’ve been tracking him for over a year,” the Scot added. “I’ve added a player who is unfazed in taking the ball in any company.

“He’s played at the Bernabeu and the Nou Camp and has acquitted himself well, so he’s a technical player who can definitely strengthen the squad.

“He has good quality, is only 24, has got good legs and is a player for now but also the future.”

Stoke have agreed to loan former captain Andy Griffin to Championship club Reading until the end of the season. Griffin, 30, has made only three appearances for Stoke this season, all of them in the League Cup.

“There is a lot of competition for places in the squad and Andy is obviously desperate to play first team football,” said Potters boss Tony Pulis. “A move to Reading is a great opportunity for him to go out and play regularly in the Championship.”

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill meanwhile has assured Nicky Shorey, the former England full-back who is thriving on loan at Nottingham Forest, that he is not planning to off-load him permanently.

O’Neill said: “Selling Nicky is not something that I am looking to do at this minute and nothing concrete has developed. If there was an offer, I would sit down with Nicky and his agent to discuss it but I am not actively seeking (to sell him).”

Shorey was loaned to Forest after losing his place in the Villa line-up to summer signing Stephen Warnock but O’Neill believes the defender may yet live up to his early promise.

“I think going forward he has done very well and if he tightens up his game defensively, he has loads to offer,” the Villa manager added.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: alex mcleish, Andy, andy griffin, barry ferguson, bernabeu, Birmingham, captain andy, captain Andy Griffin, carson yeung, England, Lee Bowyer, london, Martin O'Neill, match, midfield, midfielder, Miguel Marcos Michel, Neill, Nottingham, nou camp, potters, premier league, recruit, Scot, scotland, sporting gijon, stephen warnock, team football, team mates, wee bit

Michel joins Birmingham´s Yeung generation

January 12, 2010

Miguel Marcos Michel has become the first major signing of Carson Yeung’s reign as Birmingham City owner after the Blues announced Monday they’d signed him from Spanish side Sporting Gijon.

The 24-year-old has joined in a deal worth a reported three million pounds.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish almost signed the midfielder in August but the clubs were unable to agree on the structure of payments for the player.

Hong Kong tycoon Yeung, who took over Birmingham in October, has promised to back McLeish in the transfer market.

“Michel is in a great age group and has got good legs and a lovely touch on the ball as you would imagine from a Spanish player performing at La Liga level,” McLeish told the club’s official website on Monday.

Michel scored seven goals in 138 appearances for Sporting Gijon since making his debut in the 2005/06 season and had been the club’s player of the season during each of the last two campaigns.

Former Scotland manager McLeish, who could have at least 20 million pounds to spend on new signings, said he was still “interested in one or two players”.

But he said each potential acquisition would be judged on its own merits.

“If there’s 20 million pounds to spend then I’m sure Carson means that but whether I spend that remains to be seen,” he said.

“I would probably need to bring four or five players in to get through that money. I’m certainly not going to spend it on one player because I don’t think we’re ready for that step.

“There are a few clubs that are desperate for cash and we’re aware of that as well,” McLeish added.

“So prices can be inflated at the beginning of the month and they start to see sense towards the end of January.”

Last weekend’s 1-1 draw with champions Manchester United saw Birmingham extend their club record of successive unbeaten top-flight games to 12 matches and left them an impressive eighth in the table.

BIRMINGHAM (AFP)

Tags: acquisition, age group, alex mcleish, Birmingham, birmingham city, campaigns, CARSON, carson yeung, debut, flight games, Hong Kong, legs, Manchester, manchester united, merits, Michel, midfielder, Miguel Marcos Michel, new signings, scotland, spanish side, sporting gijon, top flight, tycoon

Toothless Real fail to pounce on Barca slip

January 4, 2010

Real Madrid spurned the chance to replace Barcelona at the top of the Spanish first division on Sunday firing blanks in a frustrating 0-0 draw against Osasuna in Pamplona.

Barcelona had dropped two points as they lost their 100-percent home record with a 1-1 draw against Villarreal on Saturday but Real could not capitalize and stay two points behind the champions in second.

It was only the second time Real had failed to score in the league this season – the other occasions being a 1-0 loss at Barcelona and a 0-0 draw with Sporting Gijon – and it was a golden opportunity missed.

Real coach Manuel Pellegrini was without Kaka as the Brazilian recovered from a groin injury so Rafael van der Vaart continued as the attacking midfielder behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain.

With Pepe out injured for the season, Argentine Ezequiel Garay joined Raul Albiol in central defence although they were largely untroubled until the 41st minute when a Javad Nekounam header stirred goalkeeper Iker Casillas into action.

Higuain, with five goals in his last three matches, had Real’s best chance on 65 minutes but a strong hand from goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez denied the Argentine. Real replaced Higuain with captain Raul in a last throw of the dice but it was to no avail.

While Barcelona have a last 16 Kings Cup match against Sevilla on Tuesday, Real can rest up as they have already been eliminated by minnows Alcorcon.

Osasuna have now held champions Barcelona (1-1) and Real at their Reyno de Navarra stadium and beat them both last season in the final two games of the campaign.

Osasuna needed to beat Real on the final day of last season to stay in the league but this season they are comfortably in mid-table lying 12th.

Real Mallorca are Real’s next opponents and they moved above Sevilla into fourth place with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao as they maintained their perfect home record with an eighth successive home victory.

“We are fourth but we face Real Madrid on their patch in the next league game and it will be difficult to get points there,” said Mallorca coach Gregorio Manzano.

Julio Alvarez scored the Mallorca opener on 49 minutes to open the scoring before Aritz Aduriz netted his eighth goal of the season against old club Bilbao after 67 minutes.

Mallorca are now in the final Champions League spot and turn their attention to the Kings Cup as they travel to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday for the first leg of the last 16 tie.

New Almeria coach Juanma Lillo enjoyed a winning start as his side clinched a crucial 1-0 win over relegation rivals Xerez.

Substitute Jose Ortiz Bernal netted an 89th minute winner just three minutes after coming on to gift Lillo a debut win after taking over from axed Mexican Hugo Sanchez.

“I am not bothered about the fact that it was my debut but more that we won the match. That was the most important thing,” said Lillo.

“The three points help us make a good leap in the table and see things a bit differently.”

Almeria move three points above the relegation zone while basement boys Xerez slide towards relegation lying eight points from safety with just one win all season.

Struggling Malaga were left frustrated as they twice surrendered the lead to be pegged back 2-2 at Sporting Gijon and stay third from bottom.

At the other end of the table Deportivo La Coruna missed the chance to move level on points with fourth-placed Sevilla, who lost 2-1 at Atletico Madrid on Saturday, with a 0-0 draw at Real Zaragoza.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: Argentine, athletic bilbao, Barcelona, Bernal, Bilbao, captain Raul, Casillas, central defence, Gonzalo, groin injury, home victory, Hugo Sanchez, javad nekounam, Jose, Julio Alvarez, kings cup, la coruna, MADRID, Malaga, manuel pellegrini, mid table, Navarra, osasuna, Rafael, rafael van der vaart, raul albiol, real madrid, real mallorca, reyno, ricardo lopez, ronaldo, SEVILLA, spanish first division, sporting gijon, throw of the dice, van der vaart, xerez, Zaragoza

Higuain warns rivals of a rising Madrid

December 21, 2009

Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain believes Real Madrid are getting better all the time after they ended 2009 with a 6-0 demolition of Real Zaragoza at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Even without key duo Kaka and Pepe through injury Madrid were still far too good for sorry Zaragoza, and the game was over as a contest inside the opening 35 minutes after the hosts stormed into a 4-0 lead.

Higuain and Rafael van der Vaart shared those goals equally between them before big-money summer signings Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema added two more strikes in the second half.

Madrid have had their critics this season but last night’s win was their biggest since trouncing Sporting Gijon 7-1 at the start of the last campaign and saw them close the gap on leaders Barcelona to two points.

It also means Madrid have won eight of their last nine games, with their only slip-up coming against Barca at the Nou Camp, and Higuain feels things are now gradually coming together for the Spanish giants, who spent around 250million euros on new talent this summer.

“We are playing better every day,” said the Argentinian, who has scored 10 goals in his last eight league games for Madrid.

“I’m very happy with the result and with the performance of the team. We played a very good match and we hope to continue on this path. We were solid and we took advantage of scoring so early on.

“It was very important to defeat Zaragoza in order to be just two points behind Barcelona. We depend on ourselves to catch up to them.”

World-record signing Ronaldo also feels he is improving.

The £80million summer arrival from Manchester United missed two months of the season due to an ankle injury and was back on the sidelines for last weekend’s trip to Valencia because of suspension.

However, he was back in the side for the Zaragoza match and his second-half goal took his tally to 13 strikes in 12 competitive games this season.

“I’m working well and I will do even better with the help of my team-mates. I want to carry on like this until the end of the season,” he said.

“I’m doing better every day. Two months out is a long time and coming back was difficult. But things are going well for me, I’m scoring goals and I hope to continue like that.”

He added on his club’s website: “It was important to end the year with a victory, so we are happy about that. Now we have to think about next year, which we must start as well as we’ve ended this one.”

Tags: ankle injury, Argentine, Barcelona, cristiano ronaldo, getting better all the time, kaka, Karim, Karim Benzema, last campaign, league games, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, nou camp, Rafael van der, rafael van der vaart, real madrid, real zaragoza, ronaldo, Santiago, santiago bernabeu, sporting gijon, summer arrival, summer signings, team mates, Valencia, world record, Zaragoza

Atletico Madrid, Villarreal match-up

December 13, 2009

Atletico Madrid host Villarreal at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday in a match-up between two sides recovering from horrid starts.

Both these sides harboured top four aspirations in pre-season but Atletico had their worst league start in 56 years while Villarreal had their worst start in the club’s history.

“Both teams are in a similar situation and we have the squads to be much higher in the table,” said Villarreal’s Diego Godin.

Villarreal are two points better off than Atletico, down in 13th place, and neither side can afford many more slip-ups or risk missing out on Europe altogether.

After surrendering third to Valencia, Sevilla travel to Sporting Gijon looking to resurrect their title charge.

Sevilla have drawn their last two home matches to fall nine points behind Barcelona although they have a game in hand.

Elsewhere high-flying Real Mallorca go in search of their first away win of the season at Osasuna on Sunday.

Mallorca have won all seven of their home matches to climb to sixth but remarkably have yet to win on their travels.

Fixtures

Sunday – all 1600 GMT unless stated

Valladolid v Malaga, Getafe v Tenerife, Racing Santander v Xerez, Almeria v Deportivo La Coruna, Osasuna v Real Mallorca, Atletico Madrid v Villarreal (1800 GMT), Sporting Gijon v Sevilla (2000 GMT)

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: AFP, almeria, aspirations, atletico madrid, Barcelona, deportivo la coruna, diego godin, Europe, la coruna, MADRID, Malaga, osasuna, racing santander, real mallorca, santander, SEVILLA, sevilla 2000, slip ups, sporting gijon, Tenerife, Valencia, valladolid, Vicente Calderon, xerez

Nilmar at the double for resurgent Villarreal

November 23, 2009

In-form Brazilian forward Nilmar scored a brace to help slow-starting Villarreal climb into mid-table with a 3-1 home win over Valladolid on Sunday.

Nilmar had scored in both of Brazil’s last two international games – against England and Oman – and continued his purple patch with two more goals.

Argentine Damian Escudero centred for Nilmar after just six minutes and the Brazilian headed a second two minutes after the break for his third goal of the season as he begins to repay his club record 11 million euro fee.

Villarreal had their worst ever start to a season in the top-flight with just three points from the first six matches but have bounced back to push up the standings plundering 14 goals in their last four games.

“Despite the result it wasn’t easy,” said Villarreal coach Ernesto Valverde.

“I liked what I saw of my team and think we were better so we are happy with how we played as well as the result.”

Elsewhere Real Mallorca maintained their perfect home record making it six wins from six at their Ono Stadium with a late 3-1 victory over Almeria.

Substitute Victor and Gonzalo Castro both scored in the final two minutes as Mallorca closed to within two points of the top four.

“We took our chances and they didn’t take theirs – that’s what made the difference,” said Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano.

In other matches, goal-shy Xerez drew 0-0 with Sporting Gijon to stay second from bottom of the table while Sporting are a creditable seventh.

Malaga continue to prop up the table after a heated 1-1 draw with Real Zaragoza which saw both teams reduced to ten men.

Zaragoza went in front through a highly-disputable 49th minute penalty after Angel Lafita went down theatrically and Brazilian Ewerthon converted the spot-kick.

The game got ugly in the second half and there were two expulsions in as many minutes with Zaragoza left back Javier Paredes awarded a second yellow on 58 minutes for a robust challenge.

Two minutes later Malaga’s Weligton got a straight red for lashing an arm at Raul Goni as he jostled for space in the penalty area.

Malaga equalised to set up a frantic finale containing yellow cards, diving and complaining before Lafita almost won it hitting the post in the final minute.

Later Valencia hope to reclaim fourth place from Deportivo La Coruna, 2-1 victors over Atletico Madrid on Saturday, when they travel to Osasuna.

On Saturday Barcelona were supplanted by Real Madrid at the top with the latter now holding a one-point advantage over Barcelona ahead of next Sunday’s ‘El Clasico’ at Camp Nou.

Real defeated Racing Santander 1-0 at home to move to the summit and Barcelona failed to respond drawing 1-1 at Athletic Bilbao to surrender top spot ahead of the biggest league fixture of the season.

Both teams have important Champions League commitments prior to the Clasico with holders Barcelona hosting Inter Milan on Tuesday and Real entertaining FC Zurich on Wednesday.

MADRID (AFP)