LA LIGA & REAL MADRID

[raul julia]

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Barcelona drew at home against Real Betis 3-3.....And heres the good news,

Real Madrid won away to Albacete 2-1.....now there 9pts off the leader Barcelona.

[raul julia]

Real Madrid are pinning their hopes of wresting the league title from the grasp of Barcelona on victory in next week's "clasico" against their arch-rivals.

With eight games left to play, Real have cut Barca's lead at the top of the table to nine points after eking out a 2-1 weekend win at relegation-threatened Albacete while the Catalans scrambled a 3-3 draw against 10-man Real Betis at the Nou Camp.

Anything less than victory for Real at next Sunday's clash at the Bernabeu would effectively extinguish their chances and leave the Galacticos facing a second successive season without a major trophy.

While Real had stand-in striker Michael Owen to thank for their win over Albacete, Barca narrowly avoided a second home defeat of the season when Dutch international Giovanni van Bronckhorst pounced to score a last-gasp equaliser against in-form Betis.

[jamescebu]

Barcelona drew at home against Real Betis 3-3.....And heres the good news,

Real Madrid won away to Albacete 2-1.....now there 9pts off the leader Barcelona.

i just hope that they will crash BARCA at bernabeu.

[fingolfin]

if they win, gap will be reduced to 6. still they cant win the la liga trophy.....

[raul julia]

Captain Raul says Real Madrid can wave goodbye to their chances of depriving Barcelona of the league title if they fail to beat their arch-rivals on Sunday.

"If we lose it will be practically impossible to win the league although, of course, we will keep on fighting until it is mathematically impossible," the Real Madrid striker told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of the Bernabeu game.

"The objective is to win all the remaining games. Now we have got a chance to face our arch-rivals, the team that are leading the league and that are favourites to win the title."

Raul admitted that even a victory, which would leave Real six points behind Barca with seven matches to go, might not be enough to loosen the Catalans' grasp on the title.

"Even if we win we still depend on Barcelona slipping up again," he said.

"After this season we want to give the fans something to celebrate and narrow the gap to add a bit of emotion to the title race. But even if we win, Barcelona still have the title within their reach."

Raul was confident he would be fit for the match after missing last weekend's 2-1 victory at Albacete because of a bruised foot.

He side-stepped questions about whether or not he would displace goal scorer Michael Owen in the starting line-up.

"That's a question for the coach," he said. "We all know Michael Owen - he's a great player, he's got the ability to score goals and can change the course of games.

"He's an important player for Real Madrid and all that I want is for Owen, Ronaldo and myself to score lots of goals."

Owen took his tally for the season to 10 league goals with the winner against Albacete. Ronaldo has hit one of the most barren patches in his career, scoring just once in the last 11 games while Raul has found the net only six times this season.

"In football you go through a number of stages," said Raul. "And I'm going through one that isn't that pleasant at the moment ... I just have to keep working and accept all the debates that are going on about my form."

[raul julia]

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ACTION

Chelsea won @ home against Bayern Munich, but a tricky dive by Ballack resulting in a penalty which he himself scored, cut the lead 4-2 which means a 2-0 score @home(Germany) could see them progress through the next round.

AC MILAN blank Internazionale (INTER MILAN) 2-0 in an Italian Derby......

[Von!-x]

I didn't sleep last night so that I can watch the Chelsea game. Amazing Lampard! Quite frustrated with too many misses from Drogba! The late goal from Ballack should not have been materialized.

AC Milan is just to strong for Inter. I dont think Inter can recover in the second leg.

Liverpool has to duplicate its tricks against Juve in the second leg. Too bad they'll face Chelsea next if they both progress. AC can make an easy picking on either Lyon or PSV.

[raul julia]

I'd like to see a Juve & Chelsea semi's..........That surely be worth watching.......

[Madeus]

Owen likes to go back in England but if he won't spending too much in the bench, Real Madrid is ok.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...pe/4423159.stm

[Von!-x]

I'd like to see a Juve & Chelsea semi's..........That surely be worth watching.......

I am quite fascinated at how Liverpool survived Juve in the first leg. Twas not really much of a home field advantage but it was their level of play and maturity. I was able to watch the replays (coz I slept in front of the TV during the live telecast).

That advantage is a confidence booster on their part come leg 2. I was already thinking that it will be Juve vs Chelsea in the semis.

Chelsea, I hope, will make it through, and become champ eventually.