Valencia fail to cash in as Barca stun Real

VALENCIA failed to take full advantage after Barcelona blew a hole in Real Madrid’s hopes of retaining their Spanish title when defeating the champions 2-1 last night, their first victory at the Santiago Bernabeu for seven seasons.

Valencia could only manage a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao later, which gives them a one point advantage over Real with four games left.

Barca have now gone 16 games unbeaten and are in third, four points behind Real.

Xavi Hernandez got the Barca winner four minutes from time with a glorious volley from the outside of his right foot after Ronaldinho had cleverly chipped forward and caught out a sleeping Real defence.

The key to the game was arguably the sending off of Real Madrid winger Luis Figo, the former Barca player getting his marching orders after 68 minutes.

“What you saw was a wonderful game, both teams played to the maximum,” said Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard.

“Real Madrid had the best of the first half. We suffered,” said Rijkaard. “Either side could have won the game prior to the expulsion of Figo, when the score was 1-1. However Real were not beaten even then and could have got a second goal. We survived thanks to some wonderful goalkeeping by Victor Valdes,” added Rijkaard.

Santiago Solari proved his worth as the replacement for the injured Ronaldo when he opened the scoring for Real after 53 minutes. The Argentine winger found the net with a clinical left foot shot from the edge of the area after Roberto Carlos had laid off a David Beckham corner.

However, Real’s advantage only lasted four minutes. Rijkaard sent on Luis Enrique Martinez and Patrick Kluivert to pep up the Barca attack and the tactic paid an immediate dividend. Giovanni van Brockhorst sent a long pass forward from just inside the Catalan’s half and Kluivert caught the Real defence square and scored with his first touches of the game.

The initiative shifted to the visitors when Figo was sent off for his second yellow card, after a two-footed lunge at Carles Puyol.

Kluivert missed a golden chance to put Barca ahead 13 minutes from the end when his header, after Ronaldinho had danced his way to the Real line to cross, skimmed over the bar. However Ronaldinho’s exquisite skill ensured Barca eventually went home with three points when he provided the service for Xavi to find the net.

Deportivo Coruna remained fourth after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Malaga on Saturday.

Depor looked in control after midfielder Victor put them ahead midway through the first half, but Malaga equalised before the break when substitute Manuel Canabal stabbed in from close range.

In Italy, AC Milan’s lead at the top of Serie A was cut to six points when they were held to a goalless draw at Udinese while AS Roma beat Empoli 3-0.

Milan have 76 points and Roma 70 with three games remaining including next week’s clash between the two at the San Siro. Victory for Milan would secure their 17th ‘scudetto’.

Two goals from Francesco Totti and a John Carew strike secured Roma’s win in Palermo.

Carew and Empoli defender Jorge Vargas were sent off in the 68th minute.

Third-placed Juventus suffered a shock 4-3 loss at home to Lecce and Inter Milan and Lazio, fighting for the fourth Champions League qualification slot, drew 0-0 at the San Siro.

Roma had little trouble in dealing with lowly Empoli after Totti put them ahead with a header just before the break. Carew doubled Roma’s lead in the 65th minute taking advantage of a slip by Empoli defender Stefano Lucchini to turn and shoot into the roof of the net moments after coming on as a sub. Totti wrapped up the win with his 20th goal of the season and one of his best, a brilliant lob, after he had latched on to a ball from Marco Delvecchio.

Juve are out of the title race and they are now almost certain to have to enter the qualifying round of the Champions League after their defeat.

French striker David Trezeguet put Juve on their way with a close range strike in the third minute but then Lecce ripped open the much criticised home defence three times before the break, with two from Ivory Coast striker Cedric Konan. Lecce’s Uruguayan forward Ernesto Chevanton then made it 4-1 with his 17th strike of the season before Juve fought back with goals from Enzo Maresca and Alessandro Del Piero.

Bayern Munich refuse to surrender their German title without a fight as they moved to within six points of tabletoppers Werder Bremen with a 1-0 win over city rivals 1860 Munich.

Werder extended their unbeaten run to 21 games with a 0-0 draw away to VfL Bochum but were left cursing the heroics of Dutch goalkeeper Rein van Duijnhoven.

Porto were crowned Portuguese champion for the 19th time without kicking a ball on Saturday after Sporting’s 1-0 defeat at Uniao Leiria ended their title hopes with two games left.