Toothless Barcelona lose ground in title race

FE Team | Published: September 18, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

MADRID, Sept 16 (AFP): The Spanish season has only just started but Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard will not be happy at playing catch-up with a 0-0 draw in Osasuna Sunday leaving his team four points behind pacesetters Real Madrid.
Barcelona may have Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho and other attacking gems but they failed to score for the second time in three games and surrendered another two points.
With Real having their best start since 1992 - winning their opening three matches - the pressure was on Barca but they failed to respond with an ineffective display at Osasuna.
It does not get any easier for Barcelona who face French champions Lyon in the Champions League Wednesday and then high-flying Sevilla next weekend in the first title clash of the new season.
Sevilla, who have played one game less, also have a perfect record and showed they are in fine shape ahead of Wednesday's tough Champions League match against Arsenal with an impressive 4-1 home win over Recreativo Huelva Sunday.
With Lionel Messi suffering from muscular problems Rijkaard handed 18-year-old Giovani, recently-capped by Mexico, his first league start and Argentine Gabriel Milito also made his Barcelona debut.
Giovani went close to scoring in the 34th minute but Javier Portillo then missed the best chance of the first half after Lilian Thuram had slipped.
With the deadlock still not broken Rijkaard gave a late debut to 17-year-old forward Bojan Krkic, a star for Spain in the recent Under-17 World Cup, but to no avail.
Last season Sevilla were in the title race until the closing stages and they have started this season like potential challengers winning their first two games scoring eight goals in the process.
Russian Alexander Kerzhakov, who also missed a penalty, and Mali international Frederic Kanoute both scored twice to sink Recreativo.
It was Sevilla's first league match since the tragic death of their former Spanish international defender Antonio Puerta and they offered a fitting tribute with a terrific display of attacking football.