Bull fight

Real Madrid move a point behind Valencia with a hard-fought 3-2 home win over 10-man Athletic Bilbao

MADRID: Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain scored twice, in the 28th and 58th minutes, to down Atletico Bilbao who had come back to level at 2-2 through a Jose Exteberria and Andoni Iraola strikes after Wesley Sneijder had put Real in front on 12 minutes.

Bilbao had Fernando Amorebieta sent off for a crude foul 14 minutes from time while Real’s Brazilian defender Marcelo was fortunate to escape a straight red for a brutal tackle at the end of the first half.

Fernando Llorente hit the post for Bilbao late on but Real, beaten 2-1 by Juventus in their midweek Champions League match, snatched the points.

“After Champions League games it is always more difficult so this victory is important,” said Real coach Bernd Schuster. “It was important to win and be at the top among the leading teams.”

Schuster largely answered questions with curt “yes” and “no” in the post-match conference avoiding questions about the competency of the referee.

Real moved above Villarreal into third but are below Barcelona on goal difference while Valencia lead the standings after a 1-1 draw with Recreativo Huelva maintained their unbeaten start. Villarreal and 10-man Atletico Madrid served up the best game of the season with a thrilling 4-4 draw at El Madrigal.

Atletico went two goals up after 22 minutes through Simao and Diego Forlan but the dismissal of Argentine Ever Banega after 37 minutes for a second yellow card turned the game on its head.

Villarreal scored three times in the first nine minutes of the second half with a Leo Franco howler allowing Marcos Senna’s shot to creep in three minutes minutes after the interval, before Jose Llorente equalised on 51 minutes.

Gonzalo Rodriguez then put the hosts ahead on 57 minutes and Giuseppe Rossi, on 68 minutes, added a fourth as Atletico collapsed. But there was yet another twist as Simao pulled one back for Atletico with his second goal on 83 minutes and Raul Garcia equalised in the 85th minute to make it 4-4.

“You can never let your guard down and that is a lesson for my team,” said Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini. “We played well for 80 minutes but we relaxed thinking the game was wrapped up. “It does not usually happen but that is why football is the most popular sport.”

Villarreal stay unbeaten and lie two points behind leaders Valencia but will rue their late collapse. Atletico languish in tenth after the draw which brought an end to a run of three successive defeats.

“Football can be like that. You are down and out with the other team strolling and then you get something out of the game,” said Atletico coach Javier Aguirre. “At the end of the game Forlan could even have given us the ultimate prize.”

Tabletoppers Valencia have made their best ever start after a 1-1 draw against Huelva. Valencia have collected 20 points with six wins and two draws.

David Villa’s hot streak continued with his ninth goal of the season cancelling out Javier Camunas’s opener.

Sevilla tasted their first defeat with a surprise 1-0 loss at the hands of promoted Malaga. “We didn’t deserve to win but we certainly didn’t deserve to lose,” complained Sevilla
coach Manolo Jimenez.