SPORTS> Soccer
Real held at Almeria as Sevilla lose again
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-03 09:12

MADRID - Champions Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw at Almeria on Sunday, missing their chance to draw level on points with leaders Barcelona, while Sevilla threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Real Valladolid.

Real looked to be closing in on a third successive Primera Liga win after Raul met Gonzalo Higuain's cross with a diving header shortly before halftime that flew into the net past Almeria keeper Diego Alves.

But with just under 10 minutes left, Pablo Piatti beat Gabriel Heinze to Albert Crusat's cross and volleyed superbly past Iker Casillas from close range.

The result completed a frustrating week for Real after they lost 3-2 to Segunda B (third tier) side Real Union in the first leg of their last-32 King's Cup tie on Thursday.     

With nine matches played, Barcelona top the league with 22 points, with Real in third on 20. Undefeated Villarreal are in second on 21 after their 4-1 win at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, the same score by which Barcelona won in Malaga.

Early pacesetters Valencia suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, losing 4-2 at home to Racing Santander, and slipped to fourth place with 20 points.

SQUANDERED POINTS

In Almeria, Real coach Bernd Schuster was forced to replace central defender Pepe with a nervous-looking Christoph Metzelder early in the second period after the Portuguese international sustained a knock on the thigh.

Schuster also withdrew midfielder Wesley Sneijder and Higuain before the end, perhaps mindful of Real's Champions League match against Juventus at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

"We are content with the draw but also have the feeling that we threw away two points," Schuster said at a news conference broadcast on Radio Marca.

"Again we did not take advantage of the clear chances to counter-attack that we had," he added. "I think we have enough quality that we should have been able to make the game safe much more effectively."

Earlier on Sunday, 10-man Sevilla suffered a second defeat in a row that leaves them stuck on 17 points in fifth.

The Andalusians had been 2-0 up inside half an hour as Jesus Navas first set up Renato to tap into an empty net and then fired in an acrobatic volley.

But Sevilla forward Luis Fabiano was sent off on 34 minutes and Valladolid came roaring back.

Jonathan Sesma rose at the near post to glance in a header just before the break and Uruguayan midfielder Fabian Canobbio scored twice in the second half, including a stunning long-range free kick that flew into the top corner for the winner.

"We had the game under control but it got more complicated with the sending off," Navas said on Sevilla's web site (www.sevillafc.es).