Mallorca maintain perfect home record
Reuters - Sunday 07 February 2010, 21:58
MADRID - A late header from Nunes earned
Real Mallorca a 1-0 win over Villarreal which preserved their
perfect home record and moved them up to fourth in La Liga on
Sunday.
Mallorca have 37 points from 21 games, one ahead of Sevilla,
after the Andalusians suffered a miserable night at Real
Zaragoza, losing 2-1 and finishing the game with nine men.
The top three, leaders Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia
all played on Saturday.
The champions have 55 points after surviving two red cards
to beat Getafe 2-1 at home while Real Madrid swept aside
Espanyol 3-0 at the Bernabeu to stay in touch five points back
in second.
Valencia eased past Real Valladolid 2-0 to secure third
place with 42.
Mallorca's Portuguese defender Nunes rose highest to meet a
free-kick in the 82nd minute, making it 10 wins from 10 for
Mallorca at their Ono Estadi.
The result was harsh on Villarreal and new coach Juan Carlos
Garrido after they had created the clearer chances in a poor
match.
"I'm very proud of the team for their conduct, their
behaviour and the way they perform on the pitch," Mallorca coach
Gregorio Manzano told reporters.
"It's important to keep talking about football and not about
what's going on off the pitch," he added. The club are in talks
with creditors to try to avoid going into administration.
RED CARDS
Sevilla rested players with one eye on Wednesday's King's
Cup semi-final second leg away to Getafe, but fell behind when
Matteo Contini scored from a scramble at a corner in the 31st
minute.
Frederic Kanoute volleyed them level soon after but Alvaro
Negredo headed a free-kick into his own net just before the
break.
Spain striker Negredo's night went from bad to worse when he
kicked Contini as the two tussled for the ball and was shown a
straight red card in the 81st minute. His team mate Marius
Stankevicius soon followed for a professional foul.
Zaragoza had striker Adrian Colunga sent off at the end but
the win hauled them out of the relegation places up to 17th.
Deportivo La Coruna had Pablo Alvarez sent off in the first
half of their 0-0 draw away to Malaga and stay sixth with 35
points.
In the late game, Cup semi-finalists Atletico Madrid and
Racing Santander drew 1-1 at the Sardinero. The two sides meet
there again on Thursday with Atletico holding a 4-0 first-leg
lead.