The Netherlands
Reuters, Amsterdam
Ajax Amsterdam paid the price for resting key players before their Champions League clash with AS Roma by drawing 1-1 with bottom club Graafschap Doetinchem on Saturday.
Ajax's side, half of which was made of the reserves who had beaten Willem II Tilburg in the Dutch Cup midweek, took the lead with a 17th minute tap-in from Mido after a goalmouth scramble.
But Dave Zafarin equalized for Doetinchem two minutes after the re-start and Ajax finished with 10 men after Mido was sent off following a clash with Michael van der Kruis in the 84th minute.
The draw moved Ajax up to 37 points, four clear of PSV Eindhoven who play Utrecht on Sunday.
Third place Feyenoord, with Pierre van Hooijdonk back in the side, failed to capitalize on Ajax's slip -- losing 3-1 at Heerenveen after taking the lead.
The unlucky Rotterdammers replaced injured goalkeeper Carlo l'Ami after just eight minutes with 17-year-old Jesper Hogedoorn -- their sixth keeper this season.
Spain
AFP, Madrid
Spanish giants Barcelona slumped to a new low on Saturday when it collapsed to a humiliating 1-0 defeat at relegation-haunted Rayo Vallecano.
The defeat for coach Luis van Gaal's misfiring side means that Barca have now gone four games without a win, marooning them in mid-table and putting them in danger of finishing in the lower half of the first division for the first time since 1942.
It was the worst possible result for Barcelona as they prepare for tomorrow's Champions League trip to Bayer Leverkusen.
RSS