The Hindu : Sport : Raul makes 500th league game memorable

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Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009
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Sport

Raul makes 500th league game memorable

MADRID: Raul Gonzalez marked his 500th Spanish league game for Real Madrid with a goal on Sunday in the two-time defending champion’s 3-0 victory over Mallorca, and leader Barcelona needed two late goals to ensure a 3-2 win at last-place Osasuna.

The 31-year-old Spanish striker, who is only the sixth player to reach the milestone, shook his marker in the 17th minute and used a deft backheel touch to redirect Gonzalo Higuain’s centering pass to make it 2-0 with his 212th league goal.

Higuain had played Arjen Robben into space down the right for the opening goal in the third minute as the Netherlands forward coolly slid a left-footed shot under goalkeeper Dudu Aouate. Sergio Ramos added the third in the 66th by volleying Fernando Gago’s precise cross past Aouate as Madrid joined Sevilla in second place with 35 points after its third straight win under coach Juande Ramos.

“Recuperating points in the league race also depends on those above us, so we have to do our part — take three points at every stadium that we play in,” Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze said.

Juan Arango volleyed over from close-range in the 55th for Mallorca, which has not won in eight games and remained in 19th place.

Messi nets winner

Lionel Messi scored Barcelona’s winner in the 85th after gathering a loose ball, cutting across the area and beating goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez with a rising left-footed shot.

Xavi Hernandez, making his 300th league appearance, had equalised in the 80th as Barcelona recovered to stretch out its best-ever league start — unbeaten in the 17 games since an opening day defeat — and give it 47 points after its eighth straight road win.

Racing stretched its unbeaten run to seven games at El Sardinero thanks to Jonathan Pereira’s goal in the 34th, while Javier Camunas equalised in the 43rd after an individual run.

In the Serie ‘A’, David Beckham was given a surprising starting nod in his official AC Milan debut against AS Roma and played 89 minutes, contributing with a solid, if not outstanding, performance in a 2-2 draw. “I felt good in the game, very strong and I enjoyed it,” Beckham said on Sunday.

The results: Spanish League: Real Mallorca 0 lost to Real Madrid 3 (Robben 3, Raul 17, Ramos 66); Numancia 2 (Barkero 8-pen, Aranda 80) bt Getafe 0; Racing Santander 1 (Pereira 33) drew with Recreativo Huelva 1 (Camunas 42); Sporting Gijon 2 (Carmelo 18, Barral 35) bt Valladolid 1 (Calvo 88); Real Betis 1 (Emana 38) lost to Malaga 2 (Apono 18-pen, Eliseu 90); Atletico Madrid 2 (Lopez 15, Forlan 90) lost to Athletic Bilbao 3 (Koikili 45, Dominguez 50-og, Llorente 65); Espanyol 2 (Roman 62, Pareja 90) drew with Almeria 2 (Uche 4, 54); Osasuna 2 (Flano 62, Pandiani 72) lost to Barcelona 3 (Eto’o 44, Xavi 80, Messi 84).

Serie ‘A’: Napoli 1 (Maggio 80) bt Catania 0; Bologna 1 (Di Vaio 45-pen) drew with Chievo 1 (Pellissier 43); Udinese 1 (Domizzi 62) drew with Sampdoria 1 (Delvecchio 57); Palermo 3 (Miccoli 22, Bresciano 39, Cavani 81) bt Atalanta 2 (Floccari 65, Ferreira Pinto 78); Reggina 2 (Corradi 4, Cozza 63) lost to Lazio 3 (Pandev 14, 21, 76); Fiorentina 1 (Felipe Melo 24) lost to Lecce 2 (Giacomazzi 6, Castillo 28); Juventus 1 (del Piero 33) bt Siena 0; AS Roma 2 (Vucinic 22, 71) drew with AC Milan 2 (Pato 48, 53). — Agencies