Ronaldo snatches a point for Real
Cristiano Ronaldo's stoppage-time goal salvaged a 2-2 draw for Real Madrid as they followed Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in dropping points on a dramatic weekend in the title race.Valencia twice led at the Bernabeu before Ronaldo stabbed the ball home with a deft backheel two minutes into five added on.
Barcelona's draw and Atletico Madrid's defeat left the door wide open for Madrid but they struggled to push through it as the top three all dropped points on the same weekend for the first time this season.
Jeremy Mathieu put Valencia ahead moments before half-time, and only six minutes after Sergio Ramos levelled before the hour mark, Dani Parejo put Valencia back in front.
After Ronaldo levelled, both he and substitute Alvaro Morata had golden chances for a winner but missed the target.
Defeat for Madrid would have left the Primera Division title in Barcelona's hands, but the draw leaves it too close to call.
Carlo Ancelotti's attacking line-up made clear Madrid's intent and they attacked from the off, with Diego Alves making a good save to deny Ronaldo just three minutes in before Karim Benzema was unlucky to miss the target when he stretched to reach a drilled cross from Gareth Bale moments later.
But Madrid's all-out attack was leaving space behind, and Valencia offered a warning in the 16th minute when a deep cross from the right found Parejo unmarked at the far post and his header had to be turned on to the crossbar and away by Diego Lopez.
If he had made any better contact the goalkeeper would have been powerless to deny him.
But for all Madrid's bustle they were struggling to create chances against a disciplined Valencia side, with Ronaldo cutting an increasingly frustrated figure as he appealed for penalties and free-kicks in vain.
He saw a powerful shot turned away by another fine Alves save in the 26th minute, and the goalkeeper turned over his header from the resulting corner.
He flashed a shot narrowly over just before the break and then tested Alves once more with a low shot, but instead it was Valencia who scored with a 43rd minute sucker-punch, Mathieu heading in from a corner moments after Lopez had done well to palm Sofiane Feghouli's shot away.
The atmosphere threatened to boil over early in the second half, with Angel Di Maria making wildly optimistic shouts for a penalty and earning a booking when he was denied.
But Madrid were doing a better job of creating chances by now, with Isco curling just wide before Alves made a brilliant save to keep out Ronaldo's low volley.
Rafael Varane's effort from a corner bounced agonisingly wide but the equaliser eventually came just before the hour when Ramos turned in Ronaldo's header from close range.
Parity would last only six minutes before former Madrid man Parejo silenced the Bernabeu with a drilled shot past Lopez after a cross deflected into his path.
Madrid were ever more desperate but Alves stood firm, denying Ronaldo more than once in the final 15 minutes.
But just when it seemed that he and Valencia had done enough, Madrid's talisman turned his body to meet Di Maria's cross and breathe fresh drama into the title race.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/295669
La Liga: Atletico Madrid lose to Levante to give Barcelona and Real Madrid hopeAtletico Madrid's bid to be crowned Primera Division champions for the first time since 1996 suffered a major blow as they were beaten 2-0 at mid-table Levante.
Following Barcelona's surprise home draw with Getafe on Saturday, leaders Atletico knew if they won their next two games against Levante and Malaga that they would clinch the title ahead of their last-day meeting with the defending champions.
However, an early own goal from Filipe Luis saw Atletico fall behind at the Ciutat de Valencia and then David Barral added a decisive second for Levante midway through the second half.
Diego Simeone's men pushed hard to try and get something back in the closing stages but they could find no way through to leave Barca and Real Madrid celebrating an unexpected boost in the title race.
Atletico fell behind in the seventh minute when an outswinging corner from the right was missed by Simao Junior and Diego Costa at the near post, and Filipe Luis, standing just behind them, could do little as the ball struck his chest and rebounded into the net past a scrambling Thibaut Courtois.
Atletico sought a quick response but found Levante goalkeeper Keylor Navas in top form, the Costa Rica international saving well from Raul Garcia before David Villa blazed the rebound over.
Navas then parried a Toby Alderweireld shot away at his near post to keep Levante ahead at the break.
The visitors continued to push after the break but substitute Arda Turan was unable to take advantage of two good openings in quick succession before the stretching Costa was agonisingly close to turning in a superb Diego free-kick at the far post.
Navas then produced the save of the match to keep out out Alderweireld's deflected 25-yard drive as it arrowed towards the top corner.
That was a huge moment in the game, as just two minutes later Levante went down the other end and made it 2-0.
Victor Casadesus dinked the ball into the area where Barral took it down with a good first touch before poking his shot past Courtois just as Diego Godin challenged him.
The sizeable Atletico support were left stunned by that goal, and despite their side's best efforts, the visitors could not get back into the match.
Adrian Lopez came closest for Simeone's side with a shot that struck the woodwork but it was not to be for the Rojiblancos, who must now regroup quickly if they are to keep alive their hopes of a Primera Division-Champions League double.
Also on Sunday, 10-man Almeria moved out of the relegation zone with a 3-2 victory over Real Betis courtesy of Ramon Azeez's late header.
Oscar Diaz and Aleix Vidal were also on target in a topsy-turvy second half at Juegos Mediterraneos, in which Suso was sent off 10 minutes after the break as Francisco Rodriguez's side moved up to 16th in the Primera Division with two matches remaining.
Already relegated Betis scored a second-half equaliser through Braian Rodriguez and then Salva Sevilla handed them a temporary lead before the home side struck back.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11827/9297340/la-liga-atletico-madrid-lose-to-levante-to-give-barcelona-and-real-madrid-hope[ 此帖被丹尼屎在2014-05-05 07:38重新編輯 ]
