http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=302162&cc=4716
Zaragoza dent Real title dream
A miserable few days 4 Real Madrid was capped by a shock home defeat 2 lowly Real Zaragoza tat all but ends their already slim hopes of winning the Primera Division title.
3 days aft seeing their Champions League hopes take a massive hit with a 2-0 semi-final 1st leg defeat 2 Barcelona, Madrid can almost bid farewell 2 the league following tis loss.
Angel Lafita was Madrid's tormentor-in-chief, scoring 2 of Zaragoza's goals & winning the penalty tat led 2 Gabi scoring the 3rd.
Madrid had hit back fr 2-0 & 3-1 down with goals fr Sergio Ramos & Karim Benzema but they could not find a 3rd, & they also finished the match with 10 men following Ricardo Carvalho's late sending off.
While the result was bad 4 Madrid, Zaragoza provisionally move 4 points clear of the drop zone with a potentially invaluable victory.
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho made 8 changes 2 the side tat started against Barca & selected the majority of the team tat did so well in thrashing 3rd-placed Valencia 6-3 away fr home last week.
However, Madrid, who led 4-0 @ half-time at the Mestalla, did not find it anywhere as easy 2 break down Zaragoza's massed defence as they had against Valencia, & a 25-yard effort fr Kaka tat went wide was their only serious threat in the opening period.
In contrast, Zaragoza came close 2 breaking the deadlock aft just 6 mins, Ikechukwu Uche seeing his effort parried by Iker Casillas, & the visitors went 1 better than tat just b4 the break when they took the lead.
The goal was 1 tat Casillas will not 1 2 see again as he completely fluffed his attempted clearance aft racing out of his area, allowing Uche 2 feed the ball inside 2 Lafita, who tapped the ball in2 an empty net.
Despite his side's struggles, Mourinho - who had omitted top scorer CR fr his match-day squad - did not make any changes @ the break.
The Portuguese waited just 8 mins of the 2nd half 2 switch things around though, sending on Angel Di Maria & Marcelo 4 youngsters Sergio Canales & Nacho Gonzalez, but b4 either could make an impact Zaragoza went 2-0 ahead.
A quick Zaragoza counter-attack ended with Carvalho bringing down Lafita just inside the area, & fr the resulting penalty Gabi sent Casillas the wrong way.
Tat left Madrid staring @ just a 4th league defeat of the season, but they gave themselves a lifeline when Ramos pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute.
Mesut Ozil, who had come on in place of Esteban Granero, curled over a corner fr the left & Ramos planted a header past visiting goalkeeper Antonio Doblas.
Boosted by tat goal Madrid turned up the pressure on the Zaragoza defence & Benzema saw a header saved by Doblas b4 the Frenchman smashed a shot against the crossbar.
However, the home side's hopes of getting anything out of the match suffered a huge blow in the 77th min when Zaragoza netted a 3rd following a rapid counter-attack.
A Madrid corner was cleared 2 Uche, whose ball in2 the middle found Lafita in acres of space & he beat Casillas when 1-on-1.
Tat was not the end of the scoring though, & Madrid, having gone close thru Benzema & Kaka, made it 3-2 in the 84th minute thru Benzema, who picked up a pass fr Gonzalo Higuain b4 firing in2 the far bottom corner.
The loss of Carvalho 2 a 2nd yellow card soon aft dented Madrid's hopes of an equaliser, but they still continued 2 push forward.
However, despite 6 mins of injury time, they could not find a way thru & they now look set 2 see bitter rivals Barca win the league title 4 3rd successive season.
Mourinho takes blame for defeat
Aft the match, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho accepted the blame, citing a lack of motivation amongst his players @ the start as the cause 4 their downfall.
"Our opponents hv fought a lot, 4 them the points were practically decisive 4 Primera Division survival. In football the difference in mental preparation is important, when 1 team goes out full of concentration & motivation & the other doesn't, the blame is the coach's, obviously,'' he said.
"The team was basically the same tat played in difficult games in Bilbao & Valencia, where we won easily & by playing well. But 2day the coach hasn't been able 2 sufficiently motivate his players. In the 1st half we didn't play well.
"The 2nd half was completely different, the 2nd half was good but we gifted 3 goals 2 our opponents. They beat us & congratulations 2 them.''
Mourinho also insisted his conscious was "clear'' with regards the team he picked, even though he concedes Zaragoza's relegation rivals will not be happy tat Madrid lost.
Mourinho, who criticised Sporting Gijon earlier tis season 4 playing a supposedly weakened team against Madrid's title rivals Barcelona, said: "I would understand (the other coaches) even though tis team won in Valencia & Bilbao, 2 very difficult stadiums. The team had more than enough quality 2 win.
"I hv a clear conscience & I've not wanted 2 gift anything 2 Zaragoza nor 2 the rest of the teams tat r fighting 4 survival. When we were losing I sent on 1st-choice players who were tired, Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria & Marcelo.
"I don't feel tat we've gifted anything 2 Zaragoza but I accept tat coaches of other teams could be very disappointed (with tis result). Madrid hv tried everything possible 2 win & you also hv 2 give credit 2 your opponents.''
Mourinho was also asked abt his decision 2 leave top scorer CR out of his squad 4 2nite's match, which has been viewed by some as a reaction 2 the critical comments the £80million man made abt Madrid's defensive approach 2 Wednesday's Champions League game with Barca.
Mourinho said: "It was my decision becos I had Higuain & Benzema 2 play. They were both motivated & eager 2 play 90 mins. Also, Higuain needs playing time 2 recover his top form. I also had (Emmanuel) Adebayor & Di Maria on the bench, I had options.''
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/301990?cc=4716
Sociedad surprise Barca with defeat
Barcelona missed the chance 2 move within a point of the Primera Division title as they surprisingly lost 2-1 @ Real Sociedad in the 34th round of matches.
Thiago Alcantara gave Barca the lead late in the 1st half, but late goals fr Diego Ifran & Xabi Prieto - fr the penalty spot - handed the Basques a shock win.
Barcelona had seen fierce rivals Real Madrid surprisingly lose 3-2 @ home 2 Zaragoza in the early match & knew a win in San Sebastian would take them 11 points clear with only 12 points to play 4.
With the Catalans set 2 face Madrid in the teams' Champions League semi-final 2nd leg @ the Nou Camp on Tuesday night, coach Pep Guardiola rang the changes.
Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, David Villa, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol & Pedro were all left out of the starting line-up, with the last 2 struggling with knocks aft Wednesday's 1st-leg game.
With left-backs Adriano, Maxwell & Eric Abidal all sidelined as well, Guardiola handed rare starts 2 Andreu Fontas & Martin Montoya in the full-back positions, while Ibrahim Afellay & Jeffren Suarez began in attack.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, was the inclusion of Lionel Messi, who had been carrying a knock aft Wednesday's match @ the Santiago Bernabeu.
Messi was involved early on, firing off target aft 4 mins & setting up Afellay 4 a decent chance moments later.
Raul Tamudo, so often a thorn in Barca's side in his time @ Espanyol, missed a good opening @ the other end aft a quarter of an hour.
But Barca looked the more likely & the Catalans took the lead aft half an hour, when Messi miscontrolled Xavi's pass & the ball rolled thru 2 Thiago, who clipped a shot over Real goalkeeper Claudio Bravo & in off the bar.
There were chances 4 both sides aft the break, but Barca looked comfortable enough until Ifran levelled 19 minutes fr time.
The Uruguayan 4ward scooped the ball over Pinto aft a thru-ball fr Antoine Griezmann pierced a hole in the Barca defence.
Gabi Milito then saw a goal disallowed following a free-kick @ the other end, but Real came close again as Xabi Prieto tested Pinto.
A min later, though, Javier Mascherano fouled David Zurutuza in the area & Real had a penalty.
Xabi Prieto hit a weak kick straight down the middle, which Pinto almost saved as he changed direction, but the Andalusian keeper was unable 2 make the save - much 2 his disgust - & Real had a shock lead.
Bravo saved fr Messi & Jeffren also came close late on, but Barca lost 4 only the 2nd time in the league tis season & will hv 2 put their title celebrations on hold 4 now.
With 4 games left, the Catalans still lead Madrid by 8 points.
Real, meanwhile, took a big step 2wards survival as they moved up to 11th place, with a total of 41 points.