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SPORTS> Soccer
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Spanish league: Real fire blanks in Gijon
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-26 11:01 MADRID: After losing to AC Milan in the Champions League midweek, Real Madrid dropped two points in the title race with a 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon on Saturday as they failed to score for the first time this season.
Real go top above Barcelona on goal difference but the champions, also beaten at home in Europe by Russians Rubin Kazan, can open up a three-point lead with a home win over Real Zaragoza on Sunday. Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini was shorn of striking options with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Ruud van Nistelrooy injured so the onus was on Raul and Kaka. The pair had two of Real's best chances, with Esteban Granero missing the other, but Real could not find a way through against a Sporting side that remain unbeaten at home and a respectable seventh in the table.
"We had some important attacking players absent today and, of course, we missed them." Sevilla, the only Spanish side to win in the Champions League this week, missed the chance to capitalize on Real's slip following a 0-0 home draw against 10-man Espanyol. Sevilla stay three points behind Real after failing to score in the league for the second successive game although that was largely down to some heroics from Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni. Espanyol, now unbeaten in five matches, had been reduced to 10 men after defender Nicolas Pareja was sent off for hacking down Diego Capel on the hour mark but Kameni pulled off some fine saves to hold on for a point. "We have to get some points away and try to win at home - that is our strategy," said Kameni. The Milan defeat had raised defensive issues at Real Madrid again and Spanish international Raul Albiol was dropped to the bench with Argentine Ezequiel Garay taking his spot at centerback. Sporting had lost 7-1 and 4-0 against Real last season so must have feared the worst. |
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