The Hindu : Sport / Football : Barcelona brushes aside Mallorca

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2006

Sport

Sport - Football

Barcelona brushes aside Mallorca

MADRID: Lionel Messi scored twice and Ludovic Giuly once as FC Barcelona romped over undermanned Mallorca 3-0 and moved 12 points clear in the Spanish league on Sunday.

Barcelona has 52 points, well clear of Valencia which slipped in a 2-2 draw with Zaragoza. Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 2-1 and rose to third on 39, ahead of Osasuna on goal difference.

Osasuna's 18-match unbeaten run at home was ended by a 2-1 loss to Real Betis.

Giuly used Deco's pass to give Barcelona a 39th-minute lead, and the team took advantage of an extra man when Mallorca defender Eduardo Tuzzio was ejected in the 72nd for two yellow cards.

Three minutes later, Messi, coming in as a second-half substitute, sliced through the defence and put the ball into the back of the net. The Argentine forward could have added another two minutes later but shot high in front of an open goal.

With eight minutes left, Ronaldinho passed to Messi and the teenager lobbed goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya for his second goal. However, Ronaldinho and Edmilson were both shown yellow cards and will miss the next match against Atletico Madrid.

The results:

Spanish league: Barcelona bt Mallorca 3-0; Alaves bt Real Sociedad 3-1; Espanyol bt Malaga 3-1; Real Betis bt Osasuna 2-0; Sevilla bt Villareal 2-0; Valencia drew with Real Zaragoza 2-2; Real Madrid bt Celta Vigo 2-0.

League Cup: Manchester United bt Wolves 3-0; Liverpool bt Portsmouth 2-1; West Ham bt Blackburn 4-2; Manchester City bt Wigan 1-0; Brentford bt Sunderland, 2-1; Reading drew with Birmingham 1-1; Middlesbrough drew with Coventry 1-1; Charlton bt Leyton Orient 2-1; Aston Villa bt Port Vale 3-1; Newcastle bt Cheltenham 2-0.

Italian league: Juventus bt Ascoli 3-1; Chievo bt Reggina 4-0; Inter Milan bt Lecce 2-0; AC Milan drew with Sampdoria 1-1. — Agencies

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