A sporting chance for Real Madrid

The inscrutibility of Pep Guardiola's tactical blueprint in La Liga has been all but guaranteed during his side's historic run of 16 consecutive wins, which broke the previous record set by Real Madrid in the 1960-61 season. On Saturday, Manolo Preciado and his modest Sporting Gijón side tore up the best-laid plans of the league leader with a simple and effective tactic: good old fashioned grit. The 1-1 tie left Real Madrid with a chance to claw back its deficit to five points late on Sunday at Espanyol.

José Mourinho's team did just that, although Real's 0-1 victory was an agonizing and enervating experience as the visiting team had to play for almost the entire match with 10 men after Iker Casillas was shown a red card for a foul outside his area in the second minute. Shortly after, however, Marcelo scored a fine goal and gave Real a platform from which to fight off Espanyol's ambitions and take three precious points.

With a Champions League match against Arsenal looming, Guardiola had an obligation to rotate his players. But Barcelona's tried and tested 4-3-3 is only as good as its components: the uncomfortable truth facing the Camp Nou board is that the second-string is not a natural complement to the first 11. Javier Mascherano did not acquit himself well in a rare 90-minute outing; Ibrahim Affelay is a talented player but not yet an adequate alternative to Pedro, who replaced the Dutchman at half-time.

The home side did not allow the visitor any space through the middle, pouring defenders into the breach when Barça pushed forward, and little time to put its foot on the ball on midfield, as is the champion's custom. It was far from pretty: referee Pérez Lasa seemed disinclined to penalize Sporting for some dubious challenges and questions should be raised by Liga authorities as to why the side of the field was littered with projectiles.

On 16 minutes the raising of the El Molinón roof was caused by David Barral's fine individual effort and although Barcelona enjoyed 75 percent of possession it could not translate that superiority into goal-scoring chances. Only David Villa's inspirational lob spared the visitor a second league defeat of the season.

"We are not invincible," noted Guardiola. It would be a more competitive league if every side adopted Sporting's attitude.

Racing also profited from a new approach, and several blunders by the visitor, to defeat Sevilla 3-2. Marcelino's first match in charge of Racing produced the desired spirit; reduced to 10 men and pegged back from 2-0 up, Manuel Arana scored the winner on 92 minutes for the side's first victory in two months. "There is room for a third team in La Liga [after Real and Barça]," said new Racing owner Ahsan Ali Syed. "It's all about proving your talent in 90 minutes on the field. Whoever plays best will win."

Other results: Atlético 1-2 Valencia; Levante 1-0 Almería; Málaga 2-2 Getafe; Hércules 2-1 Zaragoza; Real Sociedad 1-0 Osasuna; Deportivo 1-0 Villarreal.