Tue, Dec 04, 2007 page19

• LFP: Villarreal fail to keep pace with Los Merengues

  HEADS THEY WIN Joseba Llorente's header on 18 minutes set the tone as Valladolid went on to win, relegating the visitors to third place in the league

  • AFP
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  Villarreal came up short in their bid to keep up the pressure on league leaders Real Madrid when they went down 2-0 at struggling Valladolid on Sunday.

  Real have 32 points from 14 games and a four-point lead after their 3-1 win over Racing Santander on Saturday, helped by two goals from club captain Raul Gonzalez.

  Villarreal slip to third, behind Barcelona on goal difference with both clubs on 28 points, after the Catalan giants drew 1-1 at local rivals Espanyol on Saturday.

  

  Valladolid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo catches the ball in front of Villarreal's Pascal Cygan during their match in Valladolid, Spain, on Sunday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  Joseba Llorente opened the scoring for Valladolid after 18 minutes when he found the net with a tremendous header from 10m out. Victor Fernandez added Valladolid's second goal 11 minutes after the break.

  "In the first half we had our chances and should have been level at the break. We started the second half playing well but when Valladolid got their second goal, that was it," Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini said.

  Atletico Madrid moved up to fourth place with a comfortable 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Real Betis.

  

  PHOTO: AFP

  Jose Antonio Reyes nearly put Atletico ahead after just three minutes when he hit the cross bar but Diego Forlan broke the deadlock after 33 minutes.

  The prolific Uruguayan striker controlled a Kun Aguero cross with his chest before scoring with a left foot shot from the edge of the six yard box. Raul Garcia added Atletico's second in injury time.

  There were ugly scenes at the end of the game as Betis supporters tried to storm the directors box and police had to move quickly to protect the club president Jose Gomez and former president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera.

  The future of Betis coach Hector Cuper is also in doubt after just two wins this season, which has left the Seville-based club second from bottom.

  A 90th minute headed goal from Getafe's Braulio Nobrega meant heart break for bottom club Levante as they went down 2-1 to stay without an away point this season.

  Levante took the lead after 15 minutes when Riga Mustapha followed up and slotted home the rebound from his own penalty which Getafe goalkeeper Pato Abbondanzieri had palmed away.

  Getafe equalized just after the hour when Braulio latched onto a long pass from the midfield by Manu Del Moral, who had hit the post himself just two minutes earlier.

  The game was overshadowed though by a worrying incident involving Levante defender Inaki Descarga.

  Descarga collapsed to the ground unconscious after an accidental clash of heads with Getafe midfielder Ruben De La Red nine minutes before half time.

  An ambulance was brought onto the pitch and Descarga was still unconsciousness several minutes later as he left the ground.

  However, it was later confirmed that he had come around in a Madrid hospital and was out of immediate danger.

  "We talked about abandoning the game with the referee and Michael Laudrup [the Getafe coach]. We said that we would see how he was and make a decision during half time. The news was good so we decided to carry on," Levante coach Gianni De Biasi said.

  Osasuna edged away from the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over fellow strugglers Deportivo La Coruna, who slip to third from bottom.

  "Things are not good, I am worried. We were the worst we've been this season," Deportivo coach Miguel Angel Lotina said.

  Czech midfielder Jaroslav Plasil got his first goal for Osasuna since joining the Pamplona-based side from Monaco in the summer, with a spectacular left-foot volley after 47 minutes.

  Deportivo equalized through Ruben Castro with six minutes to go but Dady got the Osasuna's winner two minutes before the whistle with a left foot free kick from 20m out.

  Valencia's woes increased just four days after they failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League when they crashed 3-0 at home to Athletic Bilbao.

  It was the Basques first win in Valencia's Mestalla stadium for 20 years.
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