FC Barcelona's winning run in the Liga was halted at ten games as Real Betis Balompié gave the Spanish leaders a real scare in Seville before being pegged back by two Samuel Eto'o goals to draw a terrific game 2-2.
FC Barcelona's winning run in the Liga was halted at ten games as Real Betis Balompié gave the Spanish leaders a real scare in Seville before being pegged back by two Samuel Eto'o goals to draw a terrific game 2-2.
Eto'o penalty It was only the fourth time Barcelona have dropped points in 23 games this season and the first since a 1-1 draw with Getafe CF on 23 November, and ultimately they were grateful for a point after falling 2-0 down within 25 minutes. Melli opened the scoring with a header on 18 minutes then Mark González rifled in the second with a volley from the left seven minutes later. Barcelona pressed forward but Betis looked to have weathered the storm until two minutes into added time at the end of the first half when Andrés Iniesta was upended in the area. Ricardo Pereira saved Eto'o's spot kick diving to his right, but the Cameroonian striker was quickest to the rebound to poke in his league leading 22nd goal of the season.
Valdés saves Barcelona had a succession of chances in the second half only to be denied by the excellent Ricardo. Betis also threatened on the break and had the ball in the net after one marvellous cross-field move only for Ricardo Oliveira's strike to be flagged offside. Víctor Valdés's terrific save with his legs thwarted the striker again soon after and Betis would pay for that miss with six minutes to play when Eto'o worked room for himself on the edge of the area and fired in low to Ricardo's right. The result takes Barcelona 13 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid CF who travel to Real Sporting de Gijón on Sunday.
Valencia draw In the evening's late match Valencia CF were held to a 1-1 draw at home to sixth placed Málaga CF, though the point was enough to take them up to third. David Villa opened the scoring with his 18th Liga goal of the season on 53 minutes only for Raúl Albiol to concede the equaliser with an own goal seven minutes later. Valencia, who meet FC Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Cup on Wednesday, have won just one of their past five matches in all competitions. Also on Saturday, RC Deportivo La Coruña, who play Denmark's Aalborg BK in the UEFA Cup, were held to a goalless draw by struggling CA Osasuna.
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