Uruguayan midfielder Fabian Canobbio upstaged Real Madrid’s Brazilian contingent when he scored a contentious goal to give promoted Celta Vigo a 3-2 win in Bernabeu on Saturday.Chilean defender Pablo Contreras put the visitors in front early on but the overwhelming pressure from Real soon paid dividends. Brazilian striker Ronaldo converted a penalty and his compatriot Julio Baptista scored his first goal since moving from Sevilla with a diving header a minute before the break.Former Liverpool midfielder Antonio Nunez levelled the scores almost immediately, reacting quickly after Iker Casillas saved a penalty. Canobbio wrapped up the points for the Galicians when the linesman ruled the midfielder’s shot had crossed the line after it bounced down off the crossbar 14 minutes from time.Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo handed Brazilian forward Robinho his first start, playing up front alongside Ronaldo in an attacking 4-2-2-2 line up. With club captain Raul on the bench and France midfielder Zinedine Zidane out for three weeks with a groin strain, Guti came into midfield alongside Baptista.For all the attacking potential on display, though, it was Celta who took a surprise eighth-minute lead. Canobbio’s deep corner was thumped against the crossbar by Celta’s Brazilian striker Fernando Baiano and Contreras reacted quickest, driving the ball into the net from close range. The visitors spent the rest of the half camped on the edge of their area as Real’s Brazilian trio of Robinho, Ronaldo and Baptista tormented them. Real held the lead for only a minute before the visitors won a penalty of their own after defender Francisco Pavon handled the ball. Casillas guessed right to parry Canobbio’s penalty, but Nunez was first to the rebound and headed into the empty net.Without any natural wide players, Real’s play became congested in midfield after the restart and Raul’s introduction did little to break the deadlock. After 76 minutes, Baiano raced to the byline and cut the ball back to Canobbio whose fierce shot crashed against the crossbar, bounced down on the line and out.After consulting with his linesman, the referee awarded the goal, although television replays suggested the ball did not cross the line. In the frantic final few minutes defender Sergio Ramos, on his debut, came closest to snatching a point for Real when he headed over the crossbar.Barca hope to weave magicBarcelona knows that only three points will do when they take on Mallorca if they are to avoid the critics beginning to ask if they are up to the task of retaining their league title. After losing the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup against a second-string Real Betis and then failing to ocercome newly-promoted Alavés in the opening league fixture, a win is desperately needed at Camp Nou. The meeting in the Catalan capital will see one team that has barely changed since last term up against a club that has introduced 11 new signings as they bid to change their fortunes. Barça only brought in Mark Van Bommel from PSV Eindhoven and Santiago Ezquerro from Athletico Bilbao on free transfers and neither are likely to start against the Balearic side.
