The Hindu : Sport / Football : Real, Barcelona suffer defeats

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Football

Real, Barcelona suffer defeats

FOOTBALL / Atletico atop after just one game as the league goes on a break

— PHOTO: AP

JOY UNBOUND: Deportivo La Coruna players are ecstatic after scoring the second goal against Real Madrid on Sunday.

MADRID: Title favourites Real Madrid and Barcelona both slipped to opening day defeats on Sunday as underdogs Deportivo La Coruna and Numancia took the headlines.

Champion Real sorely missed Brazilian Robinho, excluded from the squad due to his insistence on a move to Chelsea, as it suffered a 2-1 loss to bogey side Deportivo.

Deportivo continues to dominate Real which has not won at the Riazor stadium since the 1991-92 season.

Embarrassing loss

Rivals Barca fared little better with Pep Guardiola’s first league match in charge ending in an embarrassing 1-0 loss to promoted Numancia.

Guardiola, a member of Barca’s 1992 European Cup winning team, has the job of wresting the title from Real but the omens do not look good after an insipid display.

Real also has some room for improvement if its display against Deportivo is anything to go by. With Wesley Sneijder injured and new signing Rafael van der Vaart suspended Schuster drafted in Argentine Gonzalo Higuain.

After just 90 seconds Deportivo gave Real a shock when Mista, who failed to cut the grade at Real Madrid as a youngster, hit the crossbar.

Mista then scored heading home on 26 minutes after some shocking Real defending.

Ruud van Nistelrooy equalised two minutes after the interval but Alberto Lopo restored Deportivo’s lead four minutes later with a glancing header.

Barca was poor traveller last season under Frank Rijkaard and the new manager and season has failed to bring a change in fortune.

Barcelona handed a league debut to Dani Alves — a 29.5 million euro signing from Sevilla in the summer — with Lionel Messi starting in attack after inspiring Argentina to Olympic gold.

All-important goal

Numancia took the lead with Mario rifling home on 12 minutes after Barca’s defence failed to deal with a cross from the left.

Barca twice hit the woodwork through Samuel Eto’o and Messi but Numancia held on for a historic win.

After just one game the league now goes on international break until September 13-14 giving Guardiola and Schuster time to ponder their team’s shortcomings.

Atletico Madrid tops the table after it followed up its impressive midweek qualification for the Champions League with a crushing 4-0 victory over promoted Malaga on Sunday.

For the first time in its history Atletico fielded a starting XI without any Spanish players — although Argentine Mariano Pernia has dual nationality — but the fans will not care as long as it continues winning.

Villarreal held

Last season’s runner-up Villarreal was left frustrated as it was pegged back to a 1-1 draw by Osasuna.

The results:

Athletic Bilbao 1 (Velez 57) lost to Almeria 3 (Perellano 7, Negredo 33, Ortiz 50); Atletico Madrid 4 (Heitinga 26, Forlan 38, 43-pen, Pongolle 80) bt Malaga 0; Real Betis 0 lost to Recreativo 1 (Colunga 35); Sporting Gijon 1 (Castro 35) lost to Getafe 2 (Albin 14, Casquero 86); Racing 1 (Juanjo 75) drew with Sevilla 1 (Fabiano 70); Numancia 1 (Mario 12) bt Barcelona 0; Osasuna 1 (Nekounam 69-pen) drew with Villarreal 1 (Senna 54); Deportivo La Coruna 2 (Mista 26, Lopo 51) bt Real Madrid 1 (van Nistelrooy 47). — Agencies

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport
News: ePaper | Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Retail Plus | Classifieds | Jobs | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |