Home

Transfer News
Rumours
Done Deals
Official Speculation
Fans Rumour Mill

Other News
EPL News
Serie A News
La Liga News
Other Euro News

Results/Fixtures

Standings

Statistics

Injury Reports

Columnists

Forum (Soon)

What the Boss thinks?

Want to become an Affiliate?

Fantasy League

Real Madrid keep up the pace

Two goals from Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to regain the leadership of the Spanish first division, at least for 24 hours, after they won 2-1 at reigning Spanish champions Valencia on Saturday.

The Brazilian´s brace means that Real Madrid now have 71 points from 35 games, with three games still to play.

Real Sociedad are second with 69 points but have a game in hand. The Basques travel to Malaga on Sunday.

Deportivo La Coruna lie third with 66 points but the 1999/2000 champions championship hopes have almost evaporated after a 3-0 defeat away to derby rivals Celta Vigo.

Madrid took the initiative in an exciting match when Ronaldo headed home a Luis Figo cross after 25 minutes.

Valencia wasted little time in levelling the score and Fabio Aurelio sent a long-distance effort past the outstretched arms of Real goalie Iker Casillas.

However, Ronaldo showed his appetite for the big occasion and got the winner from another Figo cross, dribbling around a prone Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares before tapping the ball into the net.

Deportivo´s defeat, their second loss in successive weeks, was the heaviest suffered in first division encounters at their Galician rivals for 47 years, with all of Celta´s goals coming in the second half.

"We now have to rely on Real Madrid and Real Sociedad slipping up," said Deportivo coach Javier Irureta, all but admitting that his team´s title hopes had been lost aong with the match.

Celta´s Jesuli Mora opened the scoring with a header just before the hour and three minutes later turned provider for Edu to nod Celta further in front.

Edu then used his quick-fire wits to pounce after Deportivo goalkeeper Juan Francosco Molina had badly fumbled a cross from Alexandr Mostovoi, the Brazilian scoring his 11th goal of the season 11 minutes from time.

The win means that Celta Vigo move up to fourth place with 57 points, one point ahead of Valencia, in the contest for the remaining place in next season´s Champions League.

The pair are well clear of Athletic Bilbao in sixth, whose last minute penalty from Ismael Urzaiz gave them a 2-1 win over Racing Santander and kept them ahead of the pack in the race for the last UEFA Cup place.

Athletic have now gone eight games without defeat but they had to come from behind after Racing´s Pedro Munitis put the visitors in front just a minute after the break.

Former Spanish international defender Aitor Karanka got the equaliser after 56 minutes, stabbing the ball home with his right foot after a Joseba Etxeberria corner.

Urzaiz then sealed the winner - his 13th goal of the season - from the spot as regulation time ran out after Joseba Arriaga had been brought down by Racing´s Ismael Ruiz.

Atletico Madrid are right behind Athletic, at least overnight, after Fernando Torres showed just how much the team had missed him during his six-week absence through injury.

Torres scored twice in Atletico´s 3-2 win over Villarreal.

"I don´t think it is exaggerating to say that Torres gave us this victory. We conceded two first half goals and could have let in others, as we were nervious and committed errors. The second half was a different story after he came on following the interval," said Atletico coach Luis Aragones.

Villarreal were much the better side during the first 45 minutes and held a 2-1 lead at the break thanks to goals from Javier Calleja and Josico Moreno.

Atletico had to rely on an own goal from Villarreal´s Reuban Arruabarrena to keep in the game before the arrival of Torres.

The 19-year-old striker, nicknamed El Nino, sent home a tremendous shot from the edge of the area to level the score after 69 minutes.

Five minutes later, he got the winner by latching onto a Luis Garcia cross in front of goal.

Bottom-club Rayo Vallecano staved off relegation for another week by grinding out a dour 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers Osasuna.

Spanish radio station Cadena SER provided appropriate epitaph on the encounter, with its commentator saying on the whistle, "With two teams of this calibre, it was no surprise that this was a truly horrible match."