After losing to AC Milan in the Champions League in midweek, Real Madrid dropped two points in the title race with a 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon on Saturday as they failed to score for the first time this season.
Real go top above Barcelona on goal difference, but the champions, also beaten at home in Europe by Russians Rubin Kazan, have a game in hand.
Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini was shorn of striking options with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Ruud van Nistelrooy injured, so the onus was on Raul and Kaka.
PHOTO: AFP
The pair had two of Real’s best chances, with Esteban Granero missing the other, but Real could not find a way through against a Sporting side that remain unbeaten at home and a respectable seventh in the table.
“Football can be like this sometimes,” Real playmaker Guti said. “You can create lots of chances, but don’t take them. We had some important attacking players absent today and, of course, we missed them.”
The Milan defeat had raised defensive issues at Real Madrid again and Spanish international Raul Albiol was dropped to the bench, with Argentine Ezequiel Garay taking his spot at centerback. Sporting had lost 7-1 and 4-0 against Real last season, so must have feared the worst.
PHOTO: AFP
Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas, at fault for two Milan goals, flapped at an early cross, but Sporting could not take advantage of the mistake. Kaka had Real’s first effort on 20 minutes with a low shot before Raul swiveled and shot wide close to the half-hour mark following a goalmouth scramble.
Gijon had their best opening close to halftime when Miguel de las Cuevas, who has four goals already this season, forced Casillas to get down quickly to defend his near post.
Sporting goalkeeper Juan Pablo denied Esteban Granero with an outstretched foot early in the second half and then a fingertip save to thwart a fierce Kaka free-kick.
Substitute Rafael van der Vaart almost caught Pablo out with an over-hit cross, but the goalkeeper recovered just in time to palm the ball over.
“This is like a win for us,” Sporting coach Manolo Preciado said. “We worked so hard and you could see how tired we were at the end.”
Sevilla, the only Spanish side to win in the Champions League this week, missed the chance to capitalize on Real’s slip following a 0-0 home draw against 10-man Espanyol.
Sevilla stay three points behind Real after failing to score in the league for the second successive game, although that was largely down to some heroics from Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.
Espanyol, now unbeaten in five matches, had been reduced to 10 men after defender Nicolas Pareja was sent off for hacking down Diego Capel on the hour mark, but Kameni pulled off some fine saves to hold on for a point.
“We have to get some points away and try to win at home — that is our strategy,” Kameni said.
At Atletico Madrid, unpopular coach Abel Resino may have gone, but the fans jeers continue after the club failed to beat nine-man Real Mallorca struggling to a 1-1 draw at the Vicente Calderon.
A last minute equalizer from Borja Valero denied Atletico victory after Diego Forlan had put them in front from the penalty spot.
The insipid display will not have impressed incoming Atletico coach “Quique” Sanchez Flores.
“Drawing against a team with two players less is difficult to explain,” striker Sergio “Kun” Aguero said. “That has never happened to me before and the criticism from the fans is logical. I hope the arrival of the new coach can help turn the situation around.”
Former Valencia and Benfica coach Flores will officially take over today after Resino was sacked on Friday.
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