Primera Liga Title Race:No Change
Real Madrid,Barcelona and Sevilla Draw in Weekend Matches in Spain
The Primera Liga title race goes on to the final week of the season as all three contenders,Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla drew their games. Real remain in top place.
Spain’s Primera title race goes on to the final games of the season as all three title contenders, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla, drew their games this weekend.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are now level on seventy three points with Sevilla two points adrift. Real remain top due to their superior results in the head to head clashes between the two teams earlier in the season. Barcelona were denied the opportunity to claim top place when they conceded a ninetieth minute equaliser to Espanyol.
Sevilla
Sevilla were held to a scoreless draw at Real Mallorca and in a tense game Sevilla’s cause was not helped when they were reduced to ten men after Ivica Dragutinovic was sent off in the seventy third minute. Sevilla remain two points behind their rivals and to claim the title must rely on Real and Barcelona losing their final game while they win their game next weekend. Sevilla may now regret the points dropped during the season when they rested players prior to important UEFA Cup games, so determined were they to retain the trophy for a second successive season.
Barcelona
Barcelona’s title aspirations took a jolt when they went a goal down after twenty five minutes in the Catalan derby against Espanyol when Raul Tamudo put the visitors ahead. Six minutes before the interval the Argentinian winger Lionel Messi equalised but claims for handball were turned away by the referee and then twelve minutes into the second half he put Barcelona ahead. As time ticked away it looked as if Barcelona were set for the three points to go back to the top of the league, when in the final minute Tamudo struck again to deny them of two points.
Real Madrid
The title race leaders, Real Madrid had an equally difficult evening against Real Zaragoza. With David Beckham recovered from the injury he received while playing for England Real were looking to claim the title with a game to spare but the home team went ahead after thirty two minutes through a Diego Milito penalty and held that lead until almost an hour had been played. Ruud van Nistlerooy levelled the score but Zaragoza were not going to lie down and regained the lead six minutes later with Milito getting his second. Real were in serious danger of losing all three points to give Barcelona a major advantage when with one minute left van Nistlerooy scored his second to snatch an important point and keep Real on course for the league title.
Amazing Swing in Fortunes
In the course of the final minute of those two games the title race swung back and forward between the two rivals. With Barcelona a goal ahead and Real a goal behind, Barcleona had a major advantage. Then van Nistlerooy salvaged a point with his late goal for Real but Barcelona still held the upper hand and would have gone two points clear. However, the tension wasn’t finished – Barcelona conceded the late equaliser and everything was as it had been before the start of play. It was quite an amazing sequence of events during those final two minutes.
Next weekend's Final Fixtures
Next weekend, a win for Real at home to Real Mallorca will see them crowned champions. Barcelona need Real to lose points and they must better their result against bottom club, Gimnastic, to have any chance of claiming the title. Sevilla’s slim title hopes are dependent on both teams above them losing while they win at home to Villareal.
Valencia Finish with 8 Men
In a tempestuous derby game at Levante, Valencia lost 4-2 and played for over half an hour with eight players. The home side scored after four minutes, Valencia had goalkeeper Canizares sent off after nine and although their substitute goalkeeper immediately saved Salva's penalty, they were two goals down three minutes later. Four minutes later Joaquin pulled a goal back and this remained the score until the interval but the home team were reduced to ten men when Kapo was sent off. Levante went further ahead at the start of the second half when Mustapha Riga scored his second but then Valencia had Ayala and Marchena dismissed inside four minutes just before the hour. Both teams scored a further goal before the end.
Levante's win ensured them of Primera Liga football next season, while Valencia were already assured of playing in the Champions League.
