Ronaldinho converted a first half penalty and Juan Rodriguez equalised after the interval for Deportivo La Coruna to draw leader FC Barcelona 1-1.
MADRID: Ronaldinho converted a first half penalty and substitute Juan Rodriguez equalised after the interval for Deportivo La Coruna to draw leader FC Barcelona 1-1 in the Spanish league on Saturday.
The result extended Barcelona’s advantage in the standings to two points, although Sevilla will climb into first place if it wins its home match with Osasuna on Sunday. Barcelona has 20 points, and Sevilla 18. Real Madrid is third with 17 points, one more than Zaragoza, Valencia and Getafe.
Deportivo, which lost its perfect record at its Riazor stadium this season, is seventh with 15 points. In Saturday’s other games, Levante downed last place Real Sociedad 2-0 and Mallorca drew Atletico Madrid 0-0.
Ronaldinho was wearing the captain’s armband instead of Carles Puyol, who withdrew from the team on Friday after his father was killed in a labor accident. Barcelona also lacked striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who was injured in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea in the Champions League.
With Samuel Eto’o sidelined until February, Argentina’s Javier Saviola was presented with his first league start for Barcelona since 2004. Midfielder Xavi Hernandez was also ruled out. Saviola lost his feet under defender Juanma Delgado’s challenge, giving Ronaldinho the chance in the 40th minute to score his sixth goal of the season and his fourth from the penalty spot.
Deportivo leveled following another penalty in the 73rd minute awarded when Edmilson was adjudged to have fouled midfielder Joan Verdu, a former Barcelona player. Substitute Fabian Estoyanoff saw his spot kick parried by diving Victor Valdes but Rodriguez ran in to fire the rebound home, despite another valiant attempt by the goalkeeper.
Sociedad’s defeat at Levante’s Ciutat de Valencia stadium kept it winless in its opening nine games and continued its worst ever start to a season. The Basque club, which finished league runner up in 2003, stayed with two points.
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