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Barcelona one victory away from title

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Posted: Sunday May 16, 1999 05:59 PM

Patrick Kluivert (right) led Barcelona to 1-1 draw with Valladolid. AP

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Barcelona moved within a victory of the Spanish league championship Sunday, while Real Madrid boosted its chances for a spot in the Europen Champions League.

Despite only drawing 1-1 Saturday against Valladolid, Barcelona ended the 34th round with 70 points, 10 more than No. 2 Mallorca, which lost 1-0 Frday to Racing de Santander.

With just 12 points at stake in the four remaining games, Barcelona will take its second title in a row if it wins next week's game against lowly Alaves.

Real Madrid, which has been troubled by inconsistent form in recent months, beat Oviedo 2-1 on goals by Fernando Morientes to move to No. 3 with 59 points.

Panama's Dely Valdes gave Madrid a jolt by scoring six minutes into the game, but tied it in the 38th minute, and added the winning goal in the 63rd.

Other 34th-round results Sunday were: Athletic de Bilbao 2, Villarreal 0; Betis 0, Deportivo de La Coruna 3; Zaragoza 2, Atletico de Madrid 0; Extremadura 1, Tenerife 0; Espanyol 2,Valencia 1; Celta 2, Real Sociedad 0 and Salamanca 1, Alaves 0. Valencia 1, Espanyol 2

Claudio Ranieri's Valencia missed a prime opportunity to move to second place when it stumbled 2-1 against Espanyol. Raul Taumudo got the first in the 70th minute while Martin Posse hit the second in the 90th. Seconds later Argentina's Claudio Lopez pulled one back for Valencia but it was too late.

Valencia edges down to No. 5 with 58 points while Espanyol has 49.

Celta 2, Real Sociedad 2

Celta rallied to draw against Sociedad and stay No. 4 in the league wih a solid chance of a place in Europe next season. Yugoslavia's Darko Kovacevic got the scoring going for Sociedad in the 11th minute while Inigo Idiakez added the second four minutes later. Celta came back with a goal by Russia's Valeri Karpin in the 35th and Tomas Hervas got the equalizer in the 71st minute.

Athletic de Bilbao 2, Villarreal 0

Bilbao boosted its chances of place in the UEFA cup with Julen Guerrero taking the lead in the fifth minute whil Santiago Ezquerro got the second in the 26th. Bilbao now has 51 points. illarreal stays with 32.

Betis 0, Deportivo 3

Two goals by Portugal's Pauleta Carreiro helped Deportivo keep alive its UEFA hopes with this victory. Pauleta scored the first in the 26th minute while Brazilian Conceicao put the second in five minutes before the break. The Portuguese star nabbed the third and final a minute into the second half.

Deportivo has 58 points and lies No. 6 in the 20-team division.

Zaragoza 2, Atletico de Madrid 0

Atltico de Madrid continued its downward march slumping against mid-ranking Zaragoza. Argentine Gustavo Lopez fired home the first in the 30th minute and Yordi Gonzalez then increased the difference in the 71st minute

Atletico lies No. 15 with 39 points while Zaragoza shifts upward with 50.

 

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