The Hindu : Sport / Football : Deportivo dents Madrid's title hopes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 03, 2004

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Sport - Football

Deportivo dents Madrid's title hopes

MADRID, MAY 2. Deportivo de La Coruna downed Real Madrid 2-0 and inflicted a severe blow on the defending champion's Spanish league title hopes on Saturday.

Zinedine Zidane was ejected before the interval as Madrid stayed in second place and in serious danger of ending the season without a trophy.

League front-runner Valencia will take a four-point lead if it beats Real Betis at home on Sunday and, with only three more rounds remaining, would be a clear favourite to win the title for the second time in three seasons.

Striker Diego Tristan and left back Joan Capdevila netted in each half for Deportivo, which extended its excellent home record over Madrid.

Despite Deportivo fielding an understrength team to save its first-choice players for the second leg of its Champions League semifinal with FC Porto on Tuesday, Madrid could not end its 12-year stretch without a win at the Riazor Stadium.

``Those who don't normally play have demonstrated tonight that they're keen to do well too,'' Capdevila said.

Valencia has 71 points from 34 games, while Madrid, which has lost three of its last four matches, has 70 from 35. FC Barcelona, which hosts Espanyol on Sunday, has 66 points, one more than Deportivo.

In Saturday's other match, Atletico de Madrid downed lowly Celta de Vigo 3-2 and moved into sixth place.

Deportivo's modified team struggled at first against a forceful Madrid with Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso hitting the post with a sixth-minute volley from Luis Figo's cross from the right.

Yet it was Deportivo which took the lead after a counter-attack in the 29th minute when Tristan shot home after goalkeeper Iker Casillas had parried midfielder Sergio Gonzalez's shot with his legs.

David Beckham, who clashed with Deportivo's Lionel Scaloni in the teams' match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in December, received a kick from the Argentine midfielder which went unseen by the referee in the 34th.

Madrid's star midfielder responded a minute later by tripping Capdevila and was cautioned, as were his teammates Zidane and right back Michel Salgado around the same time.

Coach Carlos Queiroz's team continued to surge forward and Ronaldo, returning after a two-game injury lay off, almost equalised in the 39th when his low shot hit the post.

Madrid's problems increased two minutes later when Zidane received his second yellow card for a foul on Brazilian midfielder Djalminha.

Madrid then hit the woodwork for the third time when a fierce shot from outside the area by captain Raul Gonzalez struck the crossbar in the 43rd.

Despite its numerical disadvantage, the defending champion dominated the early stages of the second half but Ronaldo was guilty of a miss when he headed well wide from Salgado's cross in the 50th.

Beckham was replaced by Argentine midfielder Santiago Solari in the 62nd, and seven minutes later Deportivo secured the three points when Capdevila hit an unstoppable drive after being teed up at a free kick by Djalminha and his fellow Brazilian Mauro Silva.

Atletico's win, which ended a run of three successive defeats, boosted its hopes of playing in next season's UEFA Cup and piled on Celta's relegation worries.

Celta, which remains in 19th place with 36 points, has three games to seek salvation. As the team still has to meet No. 3 Barcelona and No. 4 Deportivo, Celta looks to be facing a tough task to avoid dropping into the second division for the first time since 1992.

Leicester relegated, Arsenal unbeaten

Elsewhere in London, Leicester was relegated from the Premier League on Saturday, and champion Arsenal remained unbeaten in 35 matches with three more to complete a landmark season.

Leicester drew 2-2 at Charlton and Arsenal drew 0-0 at Highbury with Birmingham City.

Wolves are also going down despite a 2-1 victory at home over Everton. Only a mathematical formality keeps it from being official. Both Leicester and Wolves were doomed when Manchester City won 1-0 over Newcastle.

It has been a short stay in the Premier League for two sides who were promoted last season from the first division.

Leicester has 30 points topped by Wolves with 32 and Leeds with 32. Manchester City improved to 38. Leeds would be relegated if it loses to Bolton on Sunday.

Though Wolves could match Man City's point total by winning its last two games, the deciding factor if teams are tied on points is goal difference.

Chelsea's 4-0 victory at Southampton, coupled with Manchester United's 1-0 loss to Blackburn, strengthened the Blues' grip on second over the Reds. The second-place team gets automatic qualification to the Champions League. The third- and fourth-place teams must qualify.

At the top of the table: Arsenal (83), Chelsea (75), Manchester United (71), Liverpool (53), Newcastle (53), Aston Villa (52), Fulham (49), Charlton (49), and Birmingham City (49).

In Saturday's other match, Portsmouth and Fulham drew 1-1.

Arsenal remained unbeaten in 35 league games, although Saturday's scoreless draw at home against Birmingham City had little of the breathtaking play that brought the Gunners the title this season.

City, hoping for a place next season in Europe, used tight organisation and a damp pitch to slow the Gunners at their Highbury home.

Arsenal, which clinched its third title in six seasons last weekend, played one of its strongest sides with Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp up front and Jose Antonio Reyes playing off those two.

The Gunners never threatened City's goal with 'keeper Ian Bennett having one of the easiest day's of the season. The Gunners failed to record a shot on goal.

Hoping to remain unbeaten all season, the Gunners play Portsmouth on Tuesday and are at Fulham on May 9. The season ends on May 15 with the Gunners at home at Highbury against Leicester.

The results:

Spanish first division: Atletico de Madrid 3, Celta de Vigo 2; Deportivo de La Coruna 2, Real Madrid 0.

English Premier league: Arsenal 0, Birmingham City 0; Blackburn 1, Manchester United 0; Charlton 2, Leicester 2; Chelsea 4, Southampton 0; Manchester City 1, Newcastle 0; Portsmouth 1, Fulham 1; Wolves 2, Everton 1.

French first division: Marseille 0, Metz 1; Strasbourg 0, Paris Saint-Germain 0; Le Mans 2, Auxerre 1; Sochaux 3, Montpellier 1; Nantes 2, Lille 0; Lens 1, Toulouse 1; Rennes 4, Bastia 0; Ajaccio 0, Guingamp 0. — AP

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