Real stay top as Valencia slip up
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Valencia suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Osasuna on Sunday to leave title favorites Real Madrid two points clear at the top of the Primera Liga.
Valencia, needing to win to reclaim top spot after Real's 2-1 win over Villarreal on Saturday, saw defender Mauricio Pellegrino gift Osasuna a ridiculous own goal.
Mista and Xisco had good chances after the break but Valencia, who had Amedeo Carboni sent off four minutes from time, were unable to find an equaliser.
The result completed a miserable week's work for Valencia, who went down 3-0 to Real Madrid in the opening leg of their King's Cup quarter-final tie at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
With 21 games played, Real lead the standings with 46 points, followed by Valencia on 44.
Deportivo, in third place on 40 points, missed a chance to move neaer as they lost 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao later on Sunday, ending a four-game unbeaten run.
Javier Irureta's team had cause to rue two good first-half chances with Spanish internationals Juan Carlos Valeron and forward Albert Luque the culprits.
When Deportivo got the ball in the net just after the restart, striker Diego Tristan's goal was disallowed for offside. TV replays showed the referee's decision to be wrong.
Four minutes later, Bilbao midfielder Fran Yeste netted the game's only goal with a curling left-footed shot from the edge of the area which crossed the goalline after Deportivo goalkeeper Jose Francisco Molina could only push the ball backward.
The unlucky Tristan came close to equalizing three times in the second half but Bilbao hung on for victory.
Barcelona bounced back from Thursday's Copa del Rey defeat to Zaragoza with a narrow win at Sevilla to ease the pressure on coach Frank Rijkaard. The Catalan club moved up to seventh with 31 points.
Patrick Kluivert's winning goal, the Dutch international's seventh of the season, came in the 31st minute from a cross by forward Luis Garcia.
Sevilla midfielder Lluis Marti was sent off six minutes from the final whistle.
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