05/02/2005
Real Madrid make it a two-horse race in Spain
Real Madrid turned the Spanish title race
into a two- team contest after they thrashed Espanyol 4-0 while reigning
champions Valencia could only draw 3-3 at Real Sociedad.
A spectacular individual effort from the former World Player of the Year
Zinedine Zidane opened the scoring after 13 minutes and Raul Gonzalez
finished off a Luis Figo move to add the Spanish giants' second goal 16
minutes later.
Espanyol had a spirited first half and Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas had
to pull off several spectacular saves to stop them scoring but the life
seemed to drain out of the Barcelona-based visitors after the break.
Raul got his second from close range after 75 minutes before, five
minutes from the whistle, Danish international Thomas Gravesen got his
first goal for Real since moving from English Premiership side Everton.
Second-placed Real are now just four points behind their arch rivals
Barcelona, but the Catalans have a game in hand and play Atletico Madrid
in the Nou Camp stadium on Sunday where they have not lost for more than
a year.
"Barca must be worried now," said Real's Spanish international Ivan
Helguera, who was moved into the centre of the defence to accommodate
both Zidane and Jose Maria Gutierrez.
Valencia slumped to their fourth game without a win at Real Sociedad to
reduce their chances of retaining their title.
Nihat Kahveci was the Sociedad hero as he equalised twice for the San
Sebastian side, including finding the net a minute into injury time to
salvage a share of the points.
Valencia opened the scoring when an unmarked Marco Di Vaio latched on to
a long pass and blasted the ball past Sociedad goalkeeper Asier Riesgo
with just eight minutes on the clock.
The Sociedad defenders protested vigourously that the Italian striker
was offside but their claims were waved away.
The hosts then moved up a gear in order to level the scores and only
heroics from the Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares kept them out
until Kahveci got his first goal as the referee was prepared to blow for
half time.
Kahveci lashed home a Valery Karpin cross from the edge of the area one
minute into injury time at the end of the first period.
Real Sociedad then went on the offensive immediately after the break but
were again kept out by Canizares, until Mikel Aranburu scored 10 minutes
from time.
Ruben Baraja and then Xisco Munoz found the net in the dying minutes of
the match before Nihat quashed Valencia's dreams of getting back to
their winning ways with his 11th goal of the season.
Nevertheless, Valencia stay in third despite getting only three points
out of their last 12.
