Barca leave it late for vital win

MADRID, Spain -- Barcelona closed the gap at the top on leaders Real Madrid to four points with a 2-1 win over struggling Deportiva La Coruna in the Nou Camp on Sunday.

A Ronaldinho penalty on 41 minutes leveled the match after Cristian Hidalgo had put the visitors ahead on three minutes.

Xavi Hernandez scored the winner for Barca after 71 minutes to secure a vital three points.

It was their eighth successive home victory on the trot and notable for the return to action of star striker Samuel Eto'o after a long injury layoff.

In earlier play on Sunday, Atletico Madrid enhanced their claims for a Champions League spot with a tempestuous 1-0 victory over neighbors Getafe as four players were sent off.

Forrmer Manchester United star and Uruguay international Diego Forlan scored the only goal of the game in the first half to send Atletico into the top three, just a point behind Barcelona.

Referee Carlos Clos Gomez handed out 15 cards, four of them red as both sides finished with nine men.

Atletico were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half when Sergio Aguero picked up his second booking of the evening for handball.

Seven minutes later the game became 10-a-side when Lucas Licht was shown a second yellow for a foul.

Getafe goalkeeper, the Argentine international Roberto Abbondanzieri, was then dismissed for handling outside the area before former Arsenal player Jose Antonio Reyes was shown a straight red card for a challenge on David Belenguer. E-mail to a friend