A virtual defeat for Real

The draw stretched Real’s lead to two points and confirmed them as winter champions at the halfway stage of the season.

They can increase that advantage to five if they win their game in hand against Real Zaragoza on Wednesday. Deportivo Coruna, who beat Malaga 3-1 on Sunday, are second on 37 points having played a game more. Barcelona (36) are third following Saturday’s 1-0 win at Valencia, who slip to fourth a point further back. Real Madrid were caught cold against Valladolid as Caminero stole in ahead of Fernando Hierro to nod home from a corner at the near post.Vicente del Bosque’s side struggled for their best form throughout the first half but hinted at what was to come as they came close with a series of freekicks from the edge of the box. Roberto Carlos saw his first effort blocked on 23 minutes and Luis Figo and Hierro were also denied from useful deadball situations.

The equaliser finally came on the stroke of halftime as a low strike from Roberto Carlos took a deflection past former Real keeper Albano Bizarri.

A freekick provided another goal for Real early in the second half as Figo put in a low centre to the near post and Morientes slipped in ahead of a flat-footed defence.

Morientes missed the chance to wrap up the game as his shot from a Raul through ball was turned round by Bizarri.

Valladolid saw plenty of the ball but rarely looked like getting the equaliser until Celades was harshly judged to have fouled Fernando. Second-placed Deportivo were grateful to two flashes of brilliance from Argentine midfielder Lionel Scaloni for their win at Malaga. Javier Irureta’s side, who needed two last minute goals to beat Valencia last week, Left it late once again before overcoming a battling home side who opened the scoring through Dario Silva on 11 minutes.

Roy Makaay grabbed the equaliser after 32 minutes and Scaloni secured a valuable win with a jinking run and shot on 84 minutes followed by a rasping drive in injury-time. ‘‘Malaga created chances but we did too and the result was fair,’’ said Irureta. ‘‘We were making them more and more uncomfortable as the game went on and Scaloni gave us what we deserved.’’

Snippets
Logging out Leboeuf
PARIS:An internet website is calling on surfers to help raise the money Chelsea want to sell French defender Frank Leboeuf back to France. The tongue-in-cheek campaign, being run by top soccer website football365.com and called “F… off Frank†asks for fans and websurfers to phone a hotline number. “Every call you make will raise 10p toward’s Frank’s (one-way) ticket. Once we’ve raised the money we’ll present it to the Frenchman – even if he doesn’t want it – and tell you what his reaction was,†the website writes.

Rio, blame it on TV
LONDON: Rio Ferdinand, the world’s most expensive defender has injured himself watching televison and may miss Leeds’s premier league match against Aston Villa on Wednesday. The injury forced him out of Leeds’s 3-1 home defeat to Newcastle on Saturday and he now faces a second match on the sidelines. Leeds manager David O’Leary said on the club’s official website on Monday: “It was a freak accident, and typical of this season. It wasn’t even on the training ground, he was watching television and had his foot up on the coffee table. He had it there in a certain position for a number of hours … and strained a tendon behind his knee.â€

Gazza on injury leave
LIVERPOOL: Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who has missed Everton’s last 12 matches, will be out for at least another four weeks, the club said on Monday. Although Gascoigne was close to a comeback from injury earlier this month, Everton managed Walter Smith said on Monday he now needs another operation to heal his injured thigh after aggravating the injury in training. The 33-year-old has not played since November 5 when he slipped taking a free-kick against Aston Villa and tore the muscle.