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Victory propels Real Madrid into second place

Ronaldo, center, of Real Madrid is congratulated by team-mate David Beckham, left, after scoring a goal against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Primera Liga soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Sunday. PHOTO: EPA

Real Madrid moved up to second place on Sunday in the Spanish Liga with a come-from-behind win over lowly Athletic Bilbao.

With the 2-1 victory, Real took full advantage of Sevilla's shock 2-1 defeat at Espanyol.

Real now have 29 points from 13 games, one point behind leaders Barcelona, who were held to a 1-1 draw on Saturday by Levante.

Sevilla are now third with 28 points.

Bilbao came to Madrid with a new coach, Mane, but left complaining about the sending off of striker Aritz Aduriz when the score was still 1-1.

Bilbao had taken the lead on the half hour in controversial circumstances, when a powerful free-kick from Luis Prieto was deflected in by Igor Gabilondo, clearly in an offside position.

The Bernabeu faithful were even more indignant when a would-be equalizer from Ruud Van Nistelrooy was ruled offside just after halftime.

Real keeper Iker Casillas prevented Bilbao from taking a 2-0 lead, then Ronaldo came off the bench and levelled, after controlling a long, diagonal ball from Sergio Ramos.

Espanyol player Luis Garcia celebrates his goal against Sevilla during a Spanish Primera Liga soccer match in Barcelona on Sunday. Espanyol won the match 2-1. PHOTO: AP

Aduriz picked up a second yellow card 15 minutes from time, and Real lay siege to the Bilbao goal. Nine minutes from time Roberto Carlos came forward and won the game with a blistering low drive from just outside the penalty area.

"It was a really hard game," said Roberto Carlos, "but I think we just about deserved to win, because we never stopped attacking."

Earlier on Sunday, Sevilla seemed poised to go top by winning at Espanyol.

They had taken an early lead through a Frederic Kanoute penalty, his 10th goal of the season.

Espanyol, however, turned the tables with classy goals from Raul Tamudo and Luis Garcia, despite having Albert Riera sent off.

"I'm really not angry," Sevilla coach Juande Ramos said. "We can't be expected to play brilliantly every day."

In fourth place on 24 points are Atletico Madrid, who won 1-0 on Saturday at Betis.

Zaragoza fell to fifth after a bizarre, 2-1 meltdown at home against dogged Osasuna.

Diego Milito gave Zaragoza the lead only for Osasuna to snatch an unlikely win with an equalizer from Raul Garcia and an injury-time own-goal from Leo Ponzio.

In sixth place on 22 points are surprise package Recreativo Huelva, along with Getafe in seventh after a 0-0 draw at Real Sociedad.

Villarreal is eighth after beating bottom team Gimnastic Tarragona 2-0 with goals from South Americans Juan Fuentes and Guille Franco.

Sunday's other games ended as draws: Deportivo Coruna and Racing Santander 0-0, and Mallorca and Celta Vigo 2-2.
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