Disappointing stalemate for Real

Disappointing stalemate for Real
(PA) Sunday 3 January 2010
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Real Madrid missed the chance to overhaul Barcelona and climb to the top of the table by failing to beat Osasuna in a goalless draw. Requiring victory in Pamplona to go above their Catalan rivals on goal difference, the visitors were limited to long-range efforts in a poor first half, before having penalty appeals waved away in first-half stoppage time after Cristiano Ronaldo went to ground while attempting to make space for himself on the edge of the box.

Mallorca preserved their unblemished home record with a fine 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao and moved up to fourth place in the table after 16 rounds of the championship. After Barcelona had their perfect home record come to an end with a 1-1 draw against Villarreal last night, Real Madrid and Mallorca were the only teams left with perfect home records still intact in the top flight.

The visitors proved hard to break down in a goalless first half, but Mallorca took control in the second period, running out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Julio Alvarez and Aritz Aduriz. Draw specialists Malaga missed the chance to climb out of the relegation zone as they twice failed to hold on to leads before sharing the points in an exciting 2-2 draw against Sporting Gijon.

Malaga, who have now drawn eight of their last ten league and cup games, got their noses in front through Duda's early strike and Weligton's effort on the hour-mark, but hosts Sporting twice drew level thanks to goals from Arnolin Gregory and Roberto Canella, whose equaliser came from a poor mistake by visiting goalkeeper Gustavo Munua.

Winning start
Substitute Jose Ortiz ensured Juan Manuel Lillo's Almeria tenure got off to a winning start with a last-gasp winner against rock-bottom Xerez. Lillo may take some of the credit, having summoned Ortiz from the bench just six minutes before he stroked home the only goal of the game, but the visitors will feel rightly aggrieved not to have added to their meagre seven-point total this season.

Two goals in four second-half minutes secured only a second league home win of the season for Racing Santander and enabled the northern club to leapfrog opponents Tenerife in the lower reaches of the standings. Gonzalo Colsa opened the scoring in the 72nd minute and then Alexandre Geijo set up fellow substitute Xisco for the clincher shortly afterwards to move Racing up two places to 14th.

Casquero winner
Javi Casquero climbed off the bench to help Getafe continue their fine run of form with a superb late winner against Real Valladolid at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Casquero, having replaced Dani Parejo in the 57th minute, smashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner in the 83rd minute as Getafe made it five victories in six games and moved to within three points of the UEFA Champions League places.

For Valladolid, the defeat ends their four-match unbeaten run and leaves them just three points above the relegation zone. Real Zaragoza ended their losing streak, but remain in relegation trouble after a goalless draw against rivals Deportivo La Coruna at La Romareda.