MADRID, 18 January 2005 — Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o atoned for missing an early penalty by grabbing a late winner to give his side an agonizing 1-0 win over 10-man Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp on Sunday.
The Cameroon international fired in a difficult header after Mexican midfielder Rafael Marquez had flicked on a corner nine minutes from time, but if it had not been for some fantastic goalkeeping from Victor Valdes the Catalans would not have hung on for the win.
Real Madrid also had to dig deep to come from a goal down to win 3-1 at home to 10-man Real Zaragoza in Sunday’s late match.
The results meant that Barcelona preserved their seven-point lead over Real in the standings at the half-way point in the season.
Barca have 45 points from 19 games, Real have 38 and Valencia, who were held to a 0-0 draw at Osasuna, are two behind on 36.
Valencia gave a subdued performance in a match overshadowed by the news of the sudden death of the young daughter of Valencia defender Marco Caneira shortly before the kickoff. Zaragoza stunned the home fans at the Bernabeu when striker David Villa put them ahead with a brilliant virtuoso goal midway through the first half.
But Real equalized three minutes before the break when Raul scooped the ball over the keeper after Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo had combined to slice open the Zaragoza defence.
Zaragoza suffered a double setback at the start of the second half, losing centre-back Alvaro after he picked up a needless second booking for a foul on the halfway line and then going 2-1 down when Ronaldo headed in at the far post after a Luis Figo shot fell into his path.
The visitors were left seething, however, because Figo had appeared to receive the ball in an offside position and they were then denied a penalty after defender Michel Salgado had hauled Villa down in the area.
But they had nothing to complain when substitute Michael Owen completed the Real victory with a fine strike five minutes from time, the England striker threading a shot between two defenders, out of reach of the keeper and inside the far post.
Barcelona, who suffered only their second defeat of the season when they went down at Villarreal last week, were gifted a great chance to take the lead when they were awarded a dubious penalty in the fourth minute after midfielder Andres Iniesta went down in the area.
But Eto’o fired his spot kick against the post and the Catalans, who were missing influential Portugal midfielder Deco, grew increasingly frustrated as they were unable to break down the crowded Sociedad defense.
The Basque side sat back and defended for most of the first half but almost snatched the lead when striker Darko Kovacevic unleashed a viciously dipping shot from the edge of the area only to see it tipped over the bar by Valdes.Sociedad’s attacking options were further reduced when midfielder Xabi Prieto was sent off after picking up a second card for hauling back Silvinho just after the hour.
Barca laid siege to the Sociedad area but only managed to break the deadlock when Eto’o headed in after Xavi’s corner in the 81st minute to take his tally for the season to 14.
Zola Trims Juventus Serie A Lead to Two Points
In Rome, Juventus’s lead at the top of Serie A was trimmed to two points when a late goal by Gianfranco Zola held them to a 1-1 draw at Cagliari on Sunday.
The result gave Juve 44 points from 19 games. Italian champions AC Milan, who came from behind to beat third-placed Udinese 3-1 in an earlier match, are second on 42 points.
It was an uninspired Juventus that shared the points with Cagliari at the Sant’Elia stadium. Both sides had chances to score in a tightly-contested first half. Cagliari striker David Suazo fired straight at visiting keeper Gianluigi Buffon from a good position, while at the other end David Trezeguet chested down Pavel Nedved’s cross on the edge of the box only to scuff his shot.
In the 54th minute, Nedved took advantage of some confusion when the ball bounced loose in Cagliari’s area to send over a cross that Brazilian midfielder Emerson headed in off the bar.
Two late Buffon saves to deny striker Antonio Langella seemed to have given Juve all three points, but with one minute of normal time remaining Stephen Appiah was caught in possession by Cagliari’s Massimo Brambilla, who whipped in a cross for Zola to head into the net.
