Date:20/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/20/stories/2008102056151800.htm

Sport - Football

Higuain penalty breaks Atletico hearts

— PHOTO: AFP

LATE STRIKE: Gonzalo Higuain converted a penalty in injury time to clinch the tie for Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

MADRID: Ruud van Nistelrooy’s goal after 34 seconds and Gonzalo Higuain’s penalty late into injury time gave defending champion Real Madrid a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league on Saturday.

Van Nistelrooy was sent off in the 39th minute of an eventful game at the Vicente Calderon Stadium, nine minutes after the dismissal of Atletico right back Luis Perea.

Madrid, which has not lost against Atletico for nine years, has 16 points from seven matches.

Poor run

Atletico, which scored through Simao Sabrosa in the 90th minute, has nine points after losing its past three games.

The match came five days after UEFA punished Atletico by shutting its stadium for two Champions League games and forcing the team to play at least 300 kilometres from the capital following crowd disorder, racist abuse and poor organisation at its match with Marseille on October 1.

UEFA postponed the sanction on Thursday, allowing Atletico to host next Wednesday’s fixture against Liverpool.

The results: Spanish League: Atletico Madrid 1 (Simao Sabrosa (90) lost to Real Madrid 2 (Ruud van Nistelrooy (1), Gonzalo Higuain (90+5, penalty).

Espanyol 0 drew with Villarreal 0.

Italian League: Napoli 2 (Marek Hamsyk 64, Ezequiel Lavezzi 80) bt Juventus 1 (Amauri 61).

Fiorentina 3 (Giampaolo Pazzini 40-pen, Alberto Gilardino 75, 81) bt Reggina 0. — Agencies