Valencia on top as Barca are held
 |
Mista celebrates with Valencia teammate Cannobio.
Story Tools
|
MADRID, Spain -- Valencia climbed to the top of the Spanish Liga in impressive fashion with a 3-0 win at Atletico Madrid.
Substitute Mista struck twice for the visitors who went ahead just after halftime though midfielder Vicente Rodriguez.
A Ronaldinho deflection salvaged a 1-1 draw for Barcelona at home against Osasuna after Cesar Cruchaga had put the visitors in front.
The result pushes Barcelona above Real Madrid into third place, but both Real and second-placed Deportivo La Coruna play on Sunday.
Deportivo, one point behind Valencia, face last-placed Albacete while Real go to struggling Malaga.
Valencia's win in Madrid was orchestrated by Pablo Aimar who set up all three of his side's goals.
On 68 minutes, the Argentine playmaker exchanged passes with Mista before rolling the ball back for Vicente to drive it into the roof of the net.
|
Ronaldinho is blocked by Osasuna's Gorka Garcia.
|
Soon afterwards, Aimar teamed up with Mista again, providing the pass for the substitute to double Valencia's lead. And in injury time, he capped his performance with the perfect though pass for Mista to claim his second goal of the match.
At the Nou Camp, Brazilian forward Ronaldinho's shot cannoned into the net off Osasuna defender Jose Izquierdo on 70 minutes after Cesar Cruchaga had headed the visitors into a second half lead.
Barca struggled to impose themselves against a confident Osasuna side who came into the match with two wins from their first three matches of the season and could have gone ahead as early as the first minute when Ibrahim Bakayoko's header flashed narrowly wide.
It was no surprise when Osasuna finally did take the lead early in the second half when captain Cruchaga outjumped Philip Cocu to head home Patxi Punal's corner.
But coach Frank Rijkaard's decision to send on wingers Ricardo Quaresma and Marc Overmars paid immediate dividends with Queresma providing the cross for Ronaldinho to equalize.
"The draw isn't good, the match neither," said Rijkaard. "We can't be happy because at home we have to play to win."
