Racing reel in Barça as Atlético fall

Racing reel in Barça as Atlético fall

FC Barcelona and Club Atlético de Madrid will be searching for a return to form when they enter the UEFA Champions League proper next week after both suffered disappointing results on Saturday.
Deflected levellerBarça have just a point to show from their opening two matches in the nascent Spanish Liga after being held at home by UEFA Cup contenders Real Racing Club Santander. Dani Alves almost gave the home side the lead just after the break when his chipped shot came back off the crossbar, but after Pedro and Samuel Eto'o both drew good saves from Racing goalkeeper Toño, substitute Lionel Messi scored with a 71st-minute penalty following Christian's handball. The visitors levelled six minutes later when Jonathan Pereira deflected an Ezequiel Garay free-kick past Víctor Váldes, adding to Barça's misery on a night when Aleksandr Hleb suffered a bad left-ankle sprain in the 39th minute and had to replaced. The Belarussian midfielder will undergo further tests to establish the extent of his injury, with Tuesday's match against Sporting Clube de Portugal looming.
López sees redHaving romped to a 4-0 home success against Málaga CF on the opening weekend, Atlético were brought back down to earth by a 2-1 defeat at Real Valladolid CF. An error from goalkeeper Grégory Coupet allowed Vivar Dorado to score his side's first in the fifth minute, although Atlético's chances of a comeback were lifted when Pedro López saw red for a second bookable offence with 22 minutes played. Nevertheless, it was Valladolid who struck the next goal, Javier Baraja converting a spot-kick after Dorado had been felled in the 29th minute. Sergio Agüero reduced arrears in the 55th minute, but the capital club were denied a point when Miguel de las Cuevas's late shot cannoned back off the crossbar. Morale will need to be lifted quickly ahead of Tuesday's Group D opener at PSV Eindhoven.
Late dramaThe late match was a thriller as Sevilla FC came down from two goals down to defeat Sporting Gijón 4-2 at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. A hat-trick from Gijón's Croatian forward Mate Bilić proved in vain as Ernesto Chevantón, Enzo Maresca and Frédéric Kanoute (2, including the winner in the 61st minute) all found the net for the Andalusian club, who move on to four points.
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