© EuroFootball.com
Today, three matches of the 31st round of the Spanish championship ("La Liga") were played. Here are brief descriptions:
1-0 Barcelona
50' (1-0)
The middle-tier team "Sevilla" defeated "Espanyol," who were trying to climb out of the bottom of the table. This was Sevilla's first victory after three consecutive failures. After the match, Espanyol coach Luis Fernandez stated that the "result is unjust" and added that his team "deserved at least a draw with their play."
1-2
19' (0-1)
71' (0-2)
81' (1-2)
The promising "Albacete" players on the field did not show anything special. In the 19th minute, the visitors broke through after a precise shot from Brazilian Roberto Carlos. In the middle of the second half, the same Brazilian doubled the score. Albacete's hope to equalize was sparked by Liberro Parris, who softened the score in the 81st minute. However, no more goals were scored until the end of the match, and in front of 17,000 spectators, "Real" secured a crucial victory in the title race.
0-0
Barcelona started the match knowing that Real Madrid had won and wanting to keep their hopes alive in the title race. Both teams had excellent chances to score in the first half, with the best opportunity coming at the end of the half for Villarreal's defender Roger, whose shot hit the post. In the 72nd minute, Dutchman Patrick Kluivert appeared on the field after a two-month break. Seven minutes later, Javier Saviola "dribbled" three defenders and the goalkeeper in the penalty area and passed to Kluivert, but the referee disallowed the Dutchman's goal for an unknown reason. In the final moments of the match, Barcelona defender Gabri suffered an injury after an unsuccessful challenge and was promptly taken off the field. The referee added five minutes of stoppage time, and in the third minute of additional time, one of the Villarreal players was brought down in the penalty area, but the referee awarded a free kick from outside the box. The ball hit the wall and ended up in the net, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside. The match ended 0-0, breaking Barcelona's nine-game winning streak in the Spanish championship.
