Real close the gap at the top

SPANISH PRIMERA LIGA ROUND-UP: BOTTOM CLUB Espanyol stunned leaders Barcelona 2-1 at the Nou Camp while chasing Real Madrid ran riot with a 6-1 home win over Real Betis in the Primera Liga on Saturday.

Spanish media spent the week talking about the possibility of Real staging a comeback to win the league after Barca dropped two points against Betis last week and Pep Guardiola’s team looked nervous from the outset against Espanyol as 10-man Barca slipped to only their second defeat of the campaign and saw their lead, which stood at 12 points just over a week ago, reduced to seven.

Espanyol’s Ivan de la Pena, who once played for Barca, made the most of Seydou Keita’s first-half dismissal, scoring twice after the break in the Catalan derby.

An increasingly heated atmosphere led to Barca’s Keita getting a red card for a late challenge after 38 minutes.

De la Pena was left unmarked to head home at the back post after 50 minutes and four minutes later Victor Valdes was put under pressure with the ball at his feet and passed straight to De la Pena, who lobbed into the open net.

Toure’s volley after a freekick in the 62nd was the best Barca could muster in reply.

It was Espanyol’s first win in 15 attempts in the league.

Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Raul helped themselves to two goals each while Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Ramos weighed in with one apiece as Real went in 6-1 up at half-time at the Bernabeu.

Higuain and Huntelaar struck before Raul added two more goals of the highest quality. He swept in Marcelo’s pass with a first time shot from outside he penalty area and bettered that with a sublime chip when one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Barca are on 60 points and Real have 53 while third-placed Sevilla, on 44 defeated Atletico Madrid thanks to a late goal by Jesus Navas.

Villarreal climbed to fourth, on 41 points, with a 2-1 home win over Sporting Gijon. Valencia remain fifth on 39 points after last night’s 1-1 away draw with Deportivo La Coruna.