Barça soar ahead after Sporting stun Madrid

Barça soar ahead after Sporting stun Madrid

Published: Saturday 2 April 2011, 20.00

CETFC Barcelona beat Villarreal CF 1-0 to go eight points clear of Real Madrid CF, whose 1-0 loss to Real Sporting de Gijón ended José Mourinho's nine-year unbeaten home league run as a coach. FC Barcelona now boast an eight-point lead over Real Madrid CF after winning 1-0 at Villarreal CF in response to their rivals' 1-0 loss to Real Sporting de Gijón, Madrid coach José Mourinho's first defeat in a home league fixture in 151 matches. Titleholders Barcelona had to wait to make the breakthrough at Villarreal but got the goal they wanted on 66 minutes when Gerard Piqué lashed the ball high into the net following a corner. That gave Josep Guardiola's men a huge boost in the Liga title race, with Madrid undone by a 79th-minute Miguel de las Cuevas strike from the edge of the area in their game. Missing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaká and Marcelo through injury, with Xabi Alonso also out through suspension, Mourinho's troops were unable to stave off defeat. The result thus ended the Portuguese tactician's astonishing nine-year run, his previous home league reverse having come when his FC Porto side were beaten 3-2 by SC Beira-Mar on 23 February 2002. As for Villarreal, their loss to Barcelona meant they fell three points behind third-placed Valencia CF, who prevailed 4-2 at Getafe CF thanks to four goals from Roberto Soldado.