Barca cut gap after Real suffer shock defeat

MADRID, Spain -- Real Madrid saw their Spanish title lead over Barcelona cut to five points after a shock 2-1 Primera Liga defeat away to Real Betis.

The Spanish leaders went ahead in the fifth minute through Royston Drenthe, but Edu and Mark Gonzalez responded with goals in a five-minute spell before the break and hung on to send Madrid tumbling to their fourth loss of the campaign.

Barcelona took full advantage with a 2-1 win at Real Zaragoza in a later match on Saturday.

Brazliian star Ronaldinho converted a late penalty to give Barca a hard fought win. Ronaldinho, who has endured a tough season in which he has been dogged by injury as well as poor form, scored from the spot in the 83rd minute after Zaragoza defender Juanfran had been penalized for hand ball.

Ronaldinho had come on as a substitute for the last 15 minutes and his entry proved timely.

Thierry Henry gave Barca a 34th-minute lead with his seventh league goal of the season.

Zaragoza's Diego Milito wasted a chance to equalize for the home side when he missed a penalty before Brazilian striker Oliveira brought the home side level in the 53rd minute.

Earlier Real looked set to keep their eight-point cushion as winger Arjen Robben started the move which led to Madrid's opener.

He passed to Spanish international Raul, who was crowded out, but Drenthe was on hand to score.

After 32 minutes Argentine Hugo Pavone held off Michel Salgado to cut in from the left flank and whip over a perfectly-weighted cross for Edu to head the leveler.

Then Mark Gonzalez climbed above Marcelo to nod Betis into the lead, Edu this time the supplier.

Sevilla were impressive 4-2 away winners at Espanyol after goals in the opening ten minutes from Luis Fabiano and Freddy Kanoute.

A left-foot strike from Luis Garcia gave Espanyol some hope five minutes before the break but the hosts had Zabaleta sent off midway through the second period for a foul on Diego Capel.

Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen promptly restored the two-goal lead with the visitors' third after 73 minutes and, although Coro netted for Espanyol two minutes later, Capel made it 4-2 13 minutes from time. E-mail to a friend