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Deportivo stays at top as Real's crisis deepens Deportivo Coruna thrashed Real Madrid 5-2 on Sunday to stretch their lead in the Spanish first division to four points. Deportivo have 43 points from 23 games with their nearest challengers Real Zaragoza now four points adrift after drawing 2-2 at Atletico Madrid. Dutch striker Roy Makaay opened the scoring with a header after seven minutes. A swerving Djalminha freekick put Deportivo two ahead after only 18 minutes. Fernando Morientes got Real Madrid back in the game nine minutes before halftime, scrambling the ball into the net after a Raul Gonzalez shot was parried by Deportivo goalkeeper Jacques Songo'o. However ex-Madrid striker Victor Sanchez restored Deportivo's two-goal advantage three minutes after the break. The goal forced Real into throwing everything into attack, leaving huge gaps at the back which Turu Flores exploited late in the game. The Argentine striker was given the space to blast home his first goal from the edge of the area after 74 minutes and he headed his second goal of the game 10 minutes later. Fernando Hierro got a consolation strike for Real from a freekick a minute before the whistle. Zaragoza salvaged a point from a game which had looked lost after Atletico Madrid were 2-0 up with ten minutes to go. Atletico's Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink got a first half goal from the spot and then added a second after 54 minutes when a thunderous ground-level freekick deceived the Zaragoza goalkeeper Juanmi Garcia. However, the hosts relaxed too much and Yordi Gonzalez, an ex-Atletico reserve team player, started the Zaragoza comeback nine minutes from time with a header from a corner. Two minutes later Ander Garitano equalised for the visitors. Barcelona lost only their second game of the season in the Nou Camp when they went down 1-0 to Alaves. The Basques went ahead from a Nan Ribera effort after 20 minutes and then soaked up the pressure for the rest of the game Barcelona's Dutch duo of Patrick Kluivert and Philip Cocu both had good chances which were saved by Alaves' outstanding goalkeeper Martin Herrera. "The first half was a disaster for us in every respect," Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal admitted. At the foot of the table Sevilla got only their fourth win of the season with a 1-0 victory over fellow relegation strugglers Racing Santander but they still remain five points adrift of their nearest rivals Real Sociedad. Sociedad lost 2-1 at Real Mallorca on Sunday. |
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