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SPORTSTICKER SPANISH PRIMERA LIGA SOCCER NOTE
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*Barcelona gets helpful rainout, still holds huge lead*
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SEVILLE, Spain (Ticker) - Barcelona's players should have fresh
legs for their second-leg Champions League semifinal with AC
Milan after their Primera Liga match with Sevilla was called off
on Sunday evening.
Torrential rain made the playing surface unplayable and
officials, who waited as long as possible, eventually had to
call the match off.
No date has yet been set for the match to be made up, but with
Sevilla also having a European game in the UEFA Cup next week,
it is unlikely to be for at least 10 days.
David Villa kept the title race alive with a dramatic hat-trick
inside the final 10 minutes against Athletic Bilbao.
The game appeared to be heading to a stalemate - which would put
Barcelona a win from its second straight title - until Villa
sparked the game into life in the 82nd minute before two more
goals followed in the 84th and 87th to put a gloss on the
scoreline.
Despite the win, Valencia still trails Barca by eight points
with four games remaining and the Catalans having a game in
hand.
Real Madrid gave an unconvincing display but managed to bounce
back from its recent run of poor results to defeat last-place
Malaga, 2-1. A penalty from Zinedine Zidane and a last-gasp
header from Sergio Ramos saw Real come back from a Ricardo Souza
Bovio first-half goal.
Having achieved only one win in its previous seven league games,
Real needed a victory to maintain its challenge for second
place and direct qualification for next season's Champions
League.
With only four games left in the Spanish league, Real remains
third, two points adrift of Valencia.
An injury-time winner from Ludovic Delporte gave Osasuna a 1-0
victory and boosted its quest for Champions League action next
season and leaves Mallorca fighting for its Primera Liga
survival.
Delporte popped up in the dying moments to secure a vital win
for Javier Aguirre's men, who now sit five points clear of
fifth-place Celta Vigo, which rolled to a 4-0 triumph against
Real Zaragoza.
Mallorca is just one point ahead of Alaves, a 1-0 loser at home
against Atletico Madrid, for the last relegation-safe position.
Cadiz is just two points back after a 1-1 home draw against
Deportivo La Coruna.
Villarreal dropped a 2-0 home contest against Real Socieded as
it clearly eyed Tuesday's matchup against English side Arsenal
in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal.
Elsewhere, Espanyol topped Real Betis, 2-0, and Getafe rolled
past Racing Santander, 3-1.
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