Barcelona draw allows Madrid to close gap in Spain's Primera Liga

Barcelona draw allows Madrid to close gap in Spain's Primera Liga

Barcelona's Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) kicks the ball past Osasuna's Miguel Flano (L) and Cesar Azpilicueta during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Reyno de Navarra stadium in Pamplona October 31, 2009.

MADRID, Oct. 31 -- Spanish Primera Liga leaders Barcelona could only draw 1-1 away to Osasuna to allow Real Madridto close the gap at the top of the league table on Saturday night.

Seydou Keita looked to have given Barcelona the three points with a goal in the 71st minute, but an own goal from Gerard Pique, in what was virtually the last action of the game, allowed Osasunato take a share of the points.

Osasuna's Patxi Punal (L) fights for the ball with Barcelona's Lionel Messi during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Reyno de Navarra stadium in Pamplona October 31, 2009.

That result allowed Real Madrid to temporarily overcome the crisis at the club and move to within a point of the top of the table.

Goals from Gonzalo Higuain after 53 and 56 minutes gave under pressure coach Manuel Pellegrini some breathing space.

The win has all the more merit considering Pellegrini's men hadto play for over an hour with just 10 men on the pitch following Raul Albiol's harsh sending off after 27 minutes of the match.

Sevilla closed the gap at the top of the table thanks to a 2-0 win in the derby away to Xerez.

Goals from Alvaro Negredo and Luis Fabiano moved Manolo Jimenez's side to within four points of the top of the table and complicated Kuko Ziganda's position as Xerez coach.

Xerez remains second from bottom of the table.

Finally Athletic Club Bilbao upset Quique Sanchez Flores' BBVA Primera Liga debut as Atletico Madrid coach.

A Javi Martinez header on 17 minutes again exposed Atletico's weakness defending set pieces and allowed the Basque side to claim its first league win since the third match of the season.

The visitors meanwhile will claim bad luck after hitting the woodwork three times during the game.

Atletico's next match is at home to Real Madrid.
(Xinhua)