Messi, Iniesta Guide Barca to 4-0 Win at Deportivo
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Monday 10th January, 2011 13 off to a perfect start as the Argentina defender headed home an 81st-minute corner kick to give the hosts the lead. Malaga, in whose lineup Demichelis was one of four January transfer sign- Messi, Iniesta guide Barca ings, created better chances throughout but would move only four points clear of the drop zone with the draw. In other 18th-round games on Sunday, it’s: Mallorca vs. Almeria; Osasuna vs. Getafe; Espanyol vs. to 4-0 win at Deportivo Zaragoza; Racing Santander vs. Sporting Gijon; and Levante vs. by Paul Logothetis trolled the tempo despite Xavi, Sergio started the rally in the 63rd by stabbing Valencia. Busquets and Daniel Alves being left on Alvaro Negredo’s trickling shot over the Atletico Madrid plays Hercules MADRID (AP) - Ballon d’Or finalists the bench as Luis Suarez - the only line. on Monday. Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta scored Spanish player to win the Ballon d’Or - Kanoute received from Negredo two to lead Barcelona to its 12th straight took the ceremonial kickoff. minutes later and sidefooted past Claudio Spanish league win in a 4-0 victory at Deportivo nearly went ahead in the Bravo inside the near post from a tight Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday. 21st when Barcelona was unable to clear angle for his eighth of the season. Messi played David Villa clear into a troublesome ball, but Adrian Lopez Sevilla’s second straight win allowed Barcelona’s Lionel Messi the right side of the area before the Spain fanned a clear chance in front of goal it to join Getafe and Athletic in seventh from Argentina, reacts dur- striker squeezed his 150th league goal with only ‘keeper Victor Valdez in his place. ing the Spanish La Liga past goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia to open way. Spain midfielder Martinez snatched a soccer match against for the Spanish leader. Villa took his season tally to 12 goals point for Bilbao by leaping high three Deportivo de la Coruna at Messi’s 51st-minute goal was a clear before seeing a chance in the 34th blocked minutes into extra time to deftly guide Riazor stadium in Coruna, just before Pedro missed an effort. Igor Gabilondo’s free kick beyond reminder of why the Argentina forward northern Spain, was in the running for a second straight Eric Abidal looked to have scored his Malga goalkeeper Sergio Saturday, Jan. 8, Ballon d’Or as the world’s best player. second goal in as many games after Messi Asenjo with the back of Messi curled a left-footed shot around the picked out his run to put him through to his head. 2011. (AP outside of the defensive wall and into the score in the 38th but the France defender Martin Photo/Lalo top left corner for his 18th goal of the sea- was a step offside for the goal to be Demichelis’ R. Villar) son. waived off. Malaga debut But Iniesta also showed why he was Ruben Perez - who curled a long shot after joining up for the prize in the 80th as the Spain wide in the 41st - was booked for blatantly on-loan midfielder evaded his marker to unleash tugging Messi down by the back of his from a low shot through a crowd that dipped shirt after turning it over to the Bayern past Aranzubia. Argentina forward. But Messi made the Munich One minute later, Pedro Rodriguez hosts pay with a perfectly taken shot looked scored his ninth of the season after run- from outside the area. to ning on to Messi’s through ball to chip Deportivo’s disciplined defense kept have Aranzubia. the Catalan side at bay until Iniesta’s and got- Xavi Hernandez - the other finalist Pedro’s late scores, with World Cup hero ten for FIFA’s top individual player prize to Iniesta receiving a standing ovation after be awarded in Zurich - watched his being substituted in the 83rd. Aranzubia Barcelona teammates from the sidelines got a hand to Messi’s 88th-minute shot to as an unused substitute. deny him a chance of tying Cristiano “They don’t know who will win it,” Ronaldo’s league-leading goal tally. Villa said. “There’s an attitude of it does- “I’d have preferred to win with more n’t matter which of them wins inside the opportunities,” said coach Pep Guardiola, locker room. We’ll see on Monday.” who dedicated the win to former Barcelona put the pressure on Real Barcelona player Angel Pedraza, who Madrid to beat third-place Villarreal on died earlier Saturday. “We had a tough Sunday to keep pace with the Spanish time breaking down Deportivo’s struc- champions, who have won all nine games ture.” away from the Camp Nou this season. Sevilla striker Kanoute was well- Barcelona provisionally leads Madrid by placed in the 25th minute to smash Luis five points. Fabiano’s headed pass into goal, cancel- Earlier, Frederic Kanoute scored ing out Diego Rivas’ opener for Sociedad twice as Sevilla rallied for a 3-2 win at from two minutes earlier. Real Sociedad while Javi Martinez scored Joseba Llorente caught Sevilla goal- in injury-time for Athletic Bilbao to draw keeper Andres Palop out of position to 1-1 at Malaga. give Sociedad a 2-1 lead going into half- At El Riazor Stadium, Barcelona con- time, but Brazil striker Luis Fabiano Andrew Symonds (L) accused Harbhajan Singh (R) of calling him a ‘monkey’ in 2008. Bitter rivals to share IPL dressing room Andrew Symonds of Australia the eye of fans. the game’s governing body. and India’s Harbhajan Singh are Harbhajan and Symonds were But his ban was overturned set to share the same dressing involved in a scandal three years on appeal, leading to much acri- room after the Indian Premier ago that threatened to divide the mony among players of both League auction on Saturday. cricketing world. teams. The Australian was bought by Symonds, dubbed the bad boy Symonds played for the Mumbai Indians, who have of Australian cricket for his Deccan Chargers in the first already retained off-spinner drinking binges, accused the three editions of the IPL and was Harbhajan for the fourth edition Indian spinner of calling him a part of the team that won the 2009 of the Twenty20 tournament, set “monkey” during the fractious crown. to kick off on April 8. second Test in Sydney in 2008. Mumbai Indians, owned by Saturday’s signing will see Harbhajan, himself no business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, two of the most volatile players in stranger to controversies, was are yet to win the IPL despite hav- world cricket don the same team then banned for three matches by ing record-breaking batsman colours, which is bound to catch the International Cricket Council, Sachin Tendulkar in their ranks. America’s pairing of John Belgium were completely out- opening set, which saw 10 consec- Isner and Bethanie Mattek-Sands classed in the mixed doubles, los- utive breaks of serve at one point. beat Justine Henin and Ruben ing in 58 minutes as the US World No.58 Mattek-Sands shot Bemelmans 6-1 6-3 in the deciding secured another piece of Hopman out to a 3-1 lead in the second set mixed doubles to secure the title, Cup silverware to add to their title but once again Henin came to life, after the singles rubbers were wins in 1997, 2003, ‘04, ‘06 and ‘08. reeling off 18 of the last 19 points split at 1-1. of the match to cruise to the win. Isner had earlier defeated Henin, who only found out late world No.178 Bemelmans 6-3 6-4 in on Friday she would be playing in 58 minutes following Henin’s hard- US win the final, said she struggled to fought 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 win over mentally prepare for her singles Mattek-Sands. match. But it could have been a differ- sixth “I planned not to play tennis ent story had former world No.1 yesterday and I was in my room Ana Ivanovic not been struck and ... they told me ‘you will play down by a stomach tear. Hopman the final tomorrow’,” Henin said. Serbia’s powerful pairing of “It was strange because men- world No.3 Novak Djokovic and tally I was really focused on leav- Ivanovic had qualified for the Cup ing for Melbourne on Sunday.” final after romping through their In the men’s singles, the power- group stage. Earlier, Henin saved two set ful serve of world No.19 Isner was But the top seeds were forced points in the first set and came too hot to handle for Bemelmans, to withdraw following Ivanovic’s back from a break down in the sec- who put up a good fight but simply injury, handing Belgium a place in ond to get Belgium off to a flying didn’t have the weapons to get the final and boosting the title start in the women’s singles. past his higher-ranked opponent. hopes of the unseeded US in the Both Henin and Mattek-Sands process. struggled to hold serve in the (AAP).