Barcelona's title hopes fade with Osasuna defeat
February 11, 2012 -- Updated 2352 GMT (0752 HKT)
Barcelona's Thiago Alcantara (L) duels for a high ball with Sergio Fernandez of Osasuna during Saturday's La Liga match.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Barcelona suffer setback in bid to retain La Liga title with 3-2 defeat at Osasuna
- Real Madrid can open up 10-point lead if they defeat Levante on Sunday
- AC Milan come from behind to beat Udinese 2-1 and return to top of Serie A
(CNN) -- Barcelona's La Liga title hopes took a serious setback on Saturday after they crashed to a 3-2 defeat at Osasuna.
Two first-half goals from Dejan Lekic put Osasuna in the driving seat before Alexis Sanchez pulled one back for Barca five minutes after the restart.
But Osasuna quickly restored a two-goal cushion when Raul Garcia netted in the 56th minute.
Substitute Cristian Tello scored Barca's second in the 73rd minute but they couldn't manufacture an equalizer.
Real Madrid can now extend their lead at the top of the table to 10 points if they beat Levante on Sunday.
"We will see what happens. But we are a significant distance behind which I guess will increase on Sunday. The league will be more difficult for us now," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said, AFP reported.
"In the second half tonight we did well on this pitch but we should have done better in the first half. It was hard for us to get into this game but we have to congratulate Osasuna," he added, AFP reported.
Atletico Madrid moved up to sixth place with a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Racing Santander, while Athletic Bilbao lost 2-1 away to Real Betis.
Ruben Castro put Betis ahead after 10 minutes but Bilbao drew level 12 minutes later when Javi Martinez headed home from a corner.
Jefferson Montero and Castro both hit the woodwork either side of the break as pressure mounted on Bilbao's defenses. This only intensified when goalscorer Martinez was sent off for his second bookable offence in the 64th minute.
Betis' reward eventually came as full-back Nelson fired home from 25 years in injury time to claim all three points.
Meanwhile in Serie A, AC Milan came back from a goal down to beat Udinese 2-1 on Saturday to return to the top of the table.
Antonio Di Natale gave fourth-placed Udinese the lead in the 19th minute which they held onto until the final minutes of the match.
Argentine striker Maxi Lopez equalized 13 minutes from time before 19-year-old Stephan El Shaarawy scored the winning goal in the 85th minute thus ending Udinese's unbeaten home record this season.
Milan are now two points ahead of Juventus, whose game against Bologna on Sunday has been postponed due to snow.
In Saturday's other match, Cagliari moved up to ninth with a 2-1 win over Palermo.
Part of complete coverage on
May 23, 2012 -- Updated 0918 GMT (1718 HKT)
Manchester City's English title came at a staggering cost, but fans of the Abu Dhabi-owned team got their money's worth last season.
Messi or Ronaldo? Aguero or Van Persie? Pirlo or Ibrahimovic? CNN's Pedro Pinto picks his European MVPS -- do you agree?
May 22, 2012 -- Updated 1454 GMT (2254 HKT)
Bayern Munich might be licking their wounds after defeat to Chelsea, but the German club can find comfort in victory of a different kind.
May 18, 2012 -- Updated 1609 GMT (0009 HKT)
When Chelsea and Bayern Munich clash in the Champions League final, it will be a meeting of two completely different ownership models.
May 18, 2012 -- Updated 1426 GMT (2226 HKT)
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo talks to CNN's Pedro Pinto about his rivalry with Lionel Messi, and his season of extreme highs and lows.
May 18, 2012 -- Updated 1710 GMT (0110 HKT)
UEFA president Michel Platini tells CNN he thinks Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend the final of Euro 2012 in Ukraine -- if Germany reach it.
May 17, 2012 -- Updated 1038 GMT (1838 HKT)
To mark 20 seasons of existence, the English Premier League has named its top player, manager, goal, match and team.
May 14, 2012 -- Updated 1830 GMT (0230 HKT)
As Manchester City's fans spilled onto the pitch to revel in their team's remarkable title win, celebrations also kicked off thousands of miles away.
May 17, 2012 -- Updated 0953 GMT (1753 HKT)
Sunday saw the curtain fall on Europe's biggest domestic football leagues, with scenes of triumph and despair across the continent.
CNN's Pedro Pinto argues that Manchester City's long-awaited title success was due to individual brilliance, not well-coached teamwork.
May 11, 2012 -- Updated 0941 GMT (1741 HKT)
Many said he only left Barcelona for the money. But Yaya Toure tells CNN he joined Manchester City for one reason -- to make history.
CNN's Pedro Pinto says Antonio Conte has transformed Italian champions Juventus on and off the pitch, leading the way for Serie A.
May 8, 2012 -- Updated 1510 GMT (2310 HKT)
It was supposed to be a symbol of Ukraine's development, but next month's Euro 2012 tournament has become mired in controversy.
May 3, 2012 -- Updated 1608 GMT (0008 HKT)
If Barcelona's players were driven to tears by their shock Champions League exit, they at least have pocketfuls of cash to ease the pain.
May 3, 2012 -- Updated 1246 GMT (2046 HKT)
It is rare to see a team's coach physically attack one of their own players, but that was the bizarre situation in an Italian Serie A match.
Roy Hodgson may not have been a popular choice as England's new national coach, but he is the right man for the job says CNN's Pedro Pinto.
Today's five most popular stories
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|