Real Madrid stays atop after 3-2 win over Huelva

Roberto Carlos scored a last-ditch goal to help Real Madrid beat Recreativo Huelva 3-2 on Sunday and stay atop the Spanish league with three rounds remaining.

Madrid led 2-0 but allowed a pair of goals in the final 16 minutes to jeopardize its four-match winning streak. Roberto Carlos raced down the left, settled Gago's cross and scored under sliding goalkeeper Bertrand Laquait.

Madrid now has 69 points, the same as FC Barcelona who is second on head-to-head results. Sevilla is third with 67 and Valencia fourth on 65 points.

Barcelona kept pace by trouncing Atletico Madrid 6-0 in the pouring rain at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

Sevilla, coming off its UEFA Cup victory on Wednesday, matched the front-runners with a 2-1 victory earlier over Deportivo La Coruna.

Also Sunday, it was: Getafe 5, Espanyol 1; Levante 1, Osasuna 4; Real Sociedad 3, Celta Vigo 1; and Villarreal 2, Racing Santander 1.

Robinho put Madrid ahead in the ninth minute with a header off a perfectly aimed lofted cross by David Beckham. Laquait tripped Robinho in the six-yard box and Van Nistelrooy converted the penalty in the 54th minute to double the lead.

But Madrid defender Sergio Ramos brought down Ikechuckwu Uche in the penalty area to create Jesus Vasquez's penalty in the 74th, and Uche equalized 13 minutes later by knocking in a loose ball.

In Madrid, Lionel Messi scored a goal in each half Barcelona remained unbeaten in four matches. Messi gave Barca the lead six minutes after taking a cross from Samuel Eto'o.

Barcelona added two more before halftime when Gianluca Zambrotta lobbed goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar in the 43rd and Eto'o tapped in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's cross in the 45th.

Eto'o set up Ronaldinho for a goal in the 58th minute, Messi lobbed Cuellar in the 80th minute and Andres Iniseta finished the scoring in the 90th minute against Atletico, which finished with 10 men after Brazilian center back Fabiano Eller was sent off in the 72nd minute with a second yellow card.

Sevilla, which faces Getafe for the Spanish Cup crown on June 23, celebrated its UEFA Cup title against Espanyol with its fourth league victory in five games.

Striker Rodolfo Bodipo returned after a nearly eight-month injury absence and gave Deportivo the lead with a volley in the 73rd minute.

But Renato equalized three minutes later and Frederic Kanoute won the match with a well-timed right-footed shot in the 84th.

Source: Xinhua