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Argentina's Maxi Rodriguez has declared team-mate Juan Roman Riquelme the key player in Jose Pekerman's side.
The 25-year-old midfielder feels his country's chances depend on the Villarreal playmaker, a prospect that does not frighten the Atletico Madrid man.
"Riquelme is the spine of the team," Maxi Rodriguez said on Sky Sports. "When Riquelme plays well the rest of the players play well.
"Of course there are good players around him but he is an essential part of the side."
Riquelme, who has enjoyed three superb years at Villarreal after a disappointing first la Liga campaign at Barcelona, feels relaxed about the prospect of playing a crucial role for his country.
Having worn Diego Maradona's number ten shirt with distinction at Boca Juniors, he is used to expectation and hopes to emulate his hero in this tournament - though he does not invite comparisons with Argentina's favourite son.
"I always try to enjoy myself," Riquelme said. "Not everybody is going to like the way I play, that only ever happened with Maradona and it's going to be difficult to find someone like him.
"The goal he scored against England was unforgettable. His goals will live in our memory forever."
2:07 PM - June 5, 2006 - {0} -
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Sir Alex Ferguson is desperate to bring Juan Roman Riquelme to Manchester United Football Club. The Argentine international has emerged as one of the classiest midfield players in Europe over the past couple of seasons, playing a key role in Villarreal’s rise in La Liga.
He was also instrumental in helping the Spaniards reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League this season, before crashing out to Arsenal.
Ferguson is desperate to reinvent his midfield in order to launch a lasting Premiership bid for next season, and believes Riquelme would be the perfect addition to his squad.
United are prepared to back their manager this summer, and a cheque for around £10million will soon be winging its way to Spain in an attempt to lure his target to Old Trafford.
1:42 PM - May 31, 2006 - {0} -
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Juan Roman Riquelme will be Argentina's standard bearer at the World Cup.
"Roman is a key player because he interprets on the pitch what we want," coach Jose Pekerman said.
"People know what game Argentina play because we have Riquelme. It's a declaration of intent," he added.
"His team mates know that when opponents pressure us and we don't have the ball, we give it to him and Roman distributes it," Pekerman told Argentine reporters at a recent news conference.
Riquelme embodies a game based on traditional South American ball skills, luring opponents out of position and hitting on the break, which Pekerman favours over the more European approach of his predecessor Marcelo Bielsa.
It was not such a surprise that Riquelme, who inspired Argentina to victory in the 1997 World Youth Cup under Pekerman, had a difficult start in Europe when he arrived at Barcelona in 2002.
The coach at the Spanish club was Louis van Gaal who could not fit Riquelme into his tactics. Bielsa was an admirer of the Dutchman and he never found a regular spot for Riquleme in his Argentina side either.
The 27-year-old, who made his name with Boca Juniors, won only 13 caps and scored once for Argentina before Pekerman took over from Bielsa in October 2004. Almost ever-present under Pekerman, he has won another 17 caps and taken his goal tally to eight in the 18 months since.
Riquelme lacks pace but he is not slow, his speed of thought and close control making him very difficult to take the ball off.
He finds team mates with precision passes and is also extremely dangerous with free kicks and penalty kicks -- although he lacked the killer instinct with a poor penalty against Arsenal in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at the end of April.
His customary nerve appeared to desert him when he had the chance of scoring an 89th-minute penalty for Villarreal against Arsenal and take the tie into extra time. Instead he fired weakly to goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's left, his shot was easily saved and Villarreal lost their chance of appearing in the final, beaten 1-0 on aggregate.
Despite that, Riquelme is still being touted as a potential player of the tournament and he is certainly at the top of his powers at the right time.
Villarreal, where he is surrounded by South Americans and Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, have brought out the best in Riquelme -- it was just a pity for him and his team mates that his touch went missing at a crucial time.
1:54 PM - May 24, 2006 - {0} -
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Argentina coach Jose Pekerman has included several member of last year's World Youth Championship winners in his squad for this summer's World Cup finals in Germany, including Barcelona starlet Lionel Messi.
However, he has been careful to add a wealth of experience to his squad as well, with Villarreal duo Juan Pablo Sorin and Juan Roman Riquelme Javier Saviola of Sevilla and Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze all included.
"There is a permanent evolution with footballers. Several of the U-20 footballers have made themselves noticed," said Pekerman.
"Before it would have been impossible for players of this category to come into the A team."
The full squad is:
Goalkeepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors), Leonardo Franco (Atletico Madrid), Oscar Ustari (Independiente)
Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan), Gabriel Milito (Zaragoza), Juan Pablo Sorin (Villarreal), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna), Leandro Cufre (Roma), Roberto Ayala (Valencia), Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Maximiliano Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Juan Roman Riquelme (Villarreal), Lionel Scaloni (West Ham), Luis Gonzalez (Porto), Javier Mascherano (Corinthians), Pablo Aimar (Valencia)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Hernan Crespo (Chelsea), Carlos Tevez (Corinthians), Javier Saviola (Sevilla), Julio Cruz (Inter Milan), Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors).
1:44 PM - May 16, 2006 - {0} -
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Villarreal striker Diego Forlan has absolved team-mate Juan Roman Riquelme of blame after their exit from the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal on Tuesday night.
Riquelme had the chance to send the semi-final tie into extra time but he saw his last-minute penalty saved in the tense second leg at El Madrigal as the Gunners claimed a 1-0 aggregate win.
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was hailed as the hero for his superb save as the Londoners secured their place in next month´s final in Paris but Forlan said: "With respect to Riquelme, I don´t think anybody should blame him. He had the guts to take it and he missed - it can happen to anybody."
1:39 PM - May 11, 2006 - {0} -
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Villarreal midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme returned home from Spain on Monday amid intense speculation as to why he hadn't joined his fellow European-based Argentine national side teammates gathering in Madrid.
Riquelme made no comments to local journalists as he arrived in Buenos Aires after his flight from Spain, where 15 Argentine team members gathered for a pre-Cup pep talk with national team manager Jose Pekerman.
Some local reports said Riquelme flew home to be with former Boca Juniors player and close friend, Marcelo Delgado, whose father had passed away. But local daily Clarin speculated on whether there might have been other reasons.
Riquelme refused to resolve the mystery of why he wasn't with some of the top names gathering with Pekerman with the World Cup less than a month away.
The meetings Monday and Tuesday at a luxury hotel were closely scrutinized from afar for clues as to the composition of the final roster and game strategy for the World Cup.
Riquelme, 27, is widely considered a top playmaker for the national team.
His name was on a list of 16 players already confirmed by the Argentine soccer federation as being bound for Germany, pending confirmation of the final roster in mid-May.
Among players in Madrid for talks with Pekerman were Boca Juniors goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri, whose Argentine team won the first-division championship Sunday after a 2-0 victory over Independiente. Abbondanzieri took a late flight to Madrid soon after the match ended Sunday.
Others taking part in talks with Pekerman in Madrid included Hernan Crespo, currently at Chelsea in England, as well as Lionel Messi, the 18-year-old at Barcelona of Spain, among others.
Still others unable to make the Madrid meetings were Javier Saviola, of Sevilla of Spain, because of club commitments. He is considered another strong choice for the team.
The definitive list of 23 players will be announced May 15.
1:01 PM - May 9, 2006 - {0} -
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Argentina is hoping teenage forward Lionel Messi can erase the memories of the team’s early exit from the last World Cup.
Argentina is expected to have only six players from the tournament in South Korea and Japan, with 18-year-old Messi the big name alongside Juan Roman Riquelme, Carlos Tevez and Hernan Crespo.
After being favoured to go far in 2002 and leaving after the first round, Argentina now feels no pressure. Or so coach Jose Pekerman says.
“We are heading into Germany as just one more national team, without the baggage of being favourites. That’s going to let us start this tournament much more relaxed,� Pekerman said.
“Now all the pressure is on them,� he added, referring to defending champions Brazil.
The 56-year-old Pekerman has never led a first-division team and only replaced Marcelo Bielsa as Argentina coach last year.
He coached Argentina’s under-20 team to World Cup titles in 1995, ’97 and 2001. Many of those players he coached then are now based in Europe and expected to go to Germany.
Pekerman will have Villarreal midfielders Riquelme and Juan Pablo Sorin, Valencia’s Pablo Aimar, Deportivo La Coruna’s Fabricio Coloccini and Sevilla’s Javier Saviola to choose from.
Midfielder Esteban Cambiasso of Inter Milan, and Corinthians’ Tevez and Javier Mascherano will also play prominent roles.
Then, of course, there is Messi, who has been likened to Diego Maradona.
“I think Lionel has all the necessary qualities to be the best in the world,� Maradona has said. “I hope it happens for him because he is a great kid and handles himself really well.�
Pekerman is wary of placing too much pressure on Messi, who should be fit from a thigh injury that could rule him out of FC Barcelona’s Champions League final against Arsenal this month.
“The World Cups of Pele, Maradona and (Franz) Beckenbauer don’t exist anymore,� Pekerman said.
Kempes, who emerged in Germany in 1974, delivered in 1978; Maradona inspired Argentina to victory in 1986 and Pekerman is now putting his faith in Riquelme and Messi.
1:27 PM - May 8, 2006 - {0} -
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Pele was 17 when he became the youngest player to win soccer’s top prize in 1958. Michael Owen was a year older when he scored the goal of the tournament in 1998. Wayne Rooney looks an unlikely starter this time around but there are others from the Young Brigade who’re capable
Lionel Messi
If the Barcelona forward is healthy, he is sure to make the trip to Germany alongside attacking talents that include Juan Roman Riquelme, Carlos Tevez and Hernan Crespo.
Messi will turn 19 during the World Cup. His recovery from a torn thigh muscle will be crucial to Argentina’s hopes of a third World Cup title. As with all great players, his signature is in his silhouette and his movement. Even when he stands still, he is leaning forward. His head is always up, like a gun dog on the scent.
Even Deigo Maradona rates him ahead of Rooney. "He has the qualities to be the best in the world. I hope it happens for him because he handles himself really well. He had his problems as a boy but he's got his head screwed on right," the 1986 World Cup star adds. “He’s a player who eliminates his rivals and that makes him a type of terrorist in today’s soccer,� says Jorge Valdano, an Argentine World Cup winner.
12:29 PM - May 3, 2006 - {0} -
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Juan Roman Riquelme betting never really convinced anyone that he would convert that penalty for Villarreal against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final last week, but I know an Argentine who would have done: Diego Maradona. He could convince anyone of anything, even a World Cup referee that he had scored a goal with his head instead of his hand. To this day he shows no remorse for his notorious action of 20 years ago, as I discovered when interviewing him in Buenos Aires recently.
In fact, he positively exults in the moment he hoodwinked the match officials at the Azteca Stadium and, for a while, most of the world with his ‘Hand of God’ goal, which helped put an England team, including yours truly, out of the World Cup.
Some will not be surprised to hear he even has a painting of it hanging in his home, which shows two angels holding down Peter Shilton and a third covering the England goalkeeper’s eyes while he punches the ball into the net. With divine intervention like that, no wonder he shows no remorse.
Even so, to my mind, he is still the greatest footballer I have ever seen. And in that same game, of course, he went from cheat to champion by scoring the greatest goal in World Cup history on, what some may not have realised, was a quite dreadful pitch.
9:55 AM - May 1, 2006 - {0} -
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Villarreal's Argentine playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme is suffering after missing the penalty that put his side out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage on Tuesday.
The Primera Liga club were awarded a last-minute penalty against Arsenal that would have allowed them level the tie at 1-1, but Jens Lehmann saved Riquelme's spot kick to put the Londoners into next month's final against Barcelona.
"I always feel bad when we don't win," Riquelme told a news conference on Friday.
"I am responsible for taking penalties and sometimes you score, others you don't.
"But I am proud of my team and what we have achieved because we have had a marvellous Champions League campaign."
The modest Mediterranean club, from a town with just 48,000 inhabitants, exceeded all expectations on their debut in the competition as they edged out the likes of Inter Milan and Manchester United to make the last four.
They only won promotion to the Spanish top-flight for the first time seven years ago and had their first taste of European football in the 2002 Intertoto Cup.
Riquelme added: "Everyone has been great with me, not just now but ever since I arrived here.
"I hope I can continue to help the club grow because it is hard to believe what we have achieved over the last three years.
"We deserve credit for what we have done. Everyone in the Champions League wants to reach the final and we were so close, without having a side as strong as others."
Villarreal now have to focus their attentions on returning to Europe through the Primera Liga.
They are 10th in the league, four points short of the UEFA Cup places, and visit Getafe on Sunday.
9:02 AM - April 28, 2006 - {0} -
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Villarreal is contemplating what might have been.
What if Juan Roman Riquelme had converted his 88th-minute penalty kick against Arsenal in the Champions League semifinal second leg on Tuesday?
It almost certainly would have taken the match at El Madrigal stadium into extra time.
The small-town team from eastern Spain may then have claimed a place in the final against FC Barcelona or AC Milan at the Stade de France in Paris on May 17.
Instead, the Argentina playmaker, who had been a key figure in Villarreal's surprisingly successful competition debut, had his shot blocked by diving goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, and Arsenal held on to a 0-0 draw to reach its first Champions League final.
"When Roman missed, it was the worst moment of my life. Riquelme is very sad but he's got to lift himself for our four very important remaining league games and we have to finish an unrepeatable season," Villarreal president Fernando Roig told Wednesday's edition of daily Sport.
Roig, who received a call from Crown Prince Felipe offering his commiseration after the game, said his side had deserved better fortune.
"Soccer is cruel. We were all over Arsenal. They didn't even have a shot at goal," Roig said. "I'm very proud of my team because we have demonstrated to Europe what we can do."
Villarreal captain Quique Alvarez said his teammates were annoyed because they had wasted a unique opportunity.
"We showed we deserved to be there but, because of our lack of accuracy, we were left without the big final. Our heads are high although we're inconsolable," Alvarez said.
Villarreal, backed by a noisy crowd of 23,000 in the team's color of yellow, made a good effort to overcome Kolo Toure's winning goal from last week's first leg in London, but spurned several other clear chances.
"Understandably, the players are shattered," Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini said. "I'm very proud of my players, who were very superior to a great team."
Villarreal, which has played just seven seasons in the Spanish first division, has burst onto the European scene over the last three. It reached the UEFA Cup semifinals two years ago and the quarterfinals last year.
Spain's press on Wednesday saluted the team's achievement and lamented its misfortune.
"Goodbye, cruel football" ran the headline in sports daily Marca, while national El Pais said: "Villarreal bids farewell with greatness."
12:45 PM - April 26, 2006 - {0} -
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Juan Roman Riquelme is sure Arsenal "will concede more than one" goal against Villarreal at the El Madrigal on Tuesday.
Arsene Wenger's side take a 1-0 lead to Spain for their semi-final second leg after negating the threat of Riquelme at Highbury and scoring through defender Kolo Toure.
But the inspirational playmaker insists Arsenal's run of nine consecutive clean sheets in Europe will be ended on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old told the UEFA website: "Our confidence has certainly not been dented by the first-leg result.
"I have said already that I like the way Arsenal play.
"Cesc Fabregas moves the ball very quickly and Thierry Henry has the ability to cause a lot of damage."
But the Argentinian claims the Gunners' defence is vulnerable despite them not conceding a goal in the Champions League knock-out stages so far.
"But they have weaknesses - the same ones which every attack-minded team has.
"I'm sure that they will concede more than one at El Madrigal.
"That record has to come to an end some time. I don't know one team that has stopped conceding goals in Europe forever."
The Yellow Submarines suffered a 2-0 home defeat by struggling Real Sociedad on Saturday as Manuel Pellegrini rested most of his first-choice players for the meaningless league clash.
Continuing their debut Champions League adventure is the priority and Riquelme said: "We would have preferred a better result at Highbury, like a draw, and also to have scored, but that is the final result.
"We now have to work to try and win 2-0. The first leg gave us the belief we will score against Arsenal. With hard work, confidence and discipline we will be fine."
12:31 PM - April 24, 2006 - {0} -
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According to Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann, Villarreal playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme is "almost perfect."
Arsenal captain Thierry Henry, who will be the main attacking threat when the Spanish Club visit Highbury tomorrow, said: "With a guy like Riquelme, it is difficult to think about man-marking him - we do not do that anyway. He is a guy who can pass wherever he wants and also has the ability to do whatever he wants on the ball."
Europe's most experienced observers have nothing but praise for Riquelme who was outstanding when Argentina played England earlier this season - even in defeat the midfielder oozed class.
After the elimination of Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals the Italian media hailed Riquelme as "magic" and he is the player most likely to conjure a victory for Villarreal against Arsenal.
"You could man-mark him," Inter coach Roberto Mancini said. "Teams don't have man-markers today, though. That's because there are so few players who need man-marking. Apart from Riquelme. He was very difficult to stop. His movement is so good he was impossible to pin down."
If Villarreal's rise towards European football's summit is the most remarkable story of this season's Champions League, it is also surprising that a big talent like Riquelme plays for such a small-town club - Villarreal's population is 50,000 - and that his name has not been linked with a move to one of Europe's more established powers.
To paraphrase the Monty Python team from the Life of Brian - apart from pin-point passing, pace, intelligence, vision, unselfish running and a regular supply of goals from midfield, what else has the Roman done?
Perhaps some harbour doubts after his year of disappointment at Barcelona under Louis van Gaal in 2002, following his move from Boca Juniors.
Riquelme, who is at his best operating just behind the main strikers, was played out of position by van Gaal, which did not help matters, neither did being brought in above the Dutch coach's head.
Riquelme left Argentina because of kidnapping fears - his brother had been abducted once - and upon arriving in Barcelona became a pawn in a political battle between president Joan Gaspart who initiated his transfer and Van Gaal "who told me he didn't want me but at least he was honest," said the player.
When Villarreal came in for Riquelme he could not wait to leave after a season in the wilderness of Catalonia.
He has been at the centre of Villarreal's rise over the last three years and now only Arsenal stand between them and an unlikely Champions League final appearance in their debut season.
Villarreal do the simple things well, but they will miss suspended keeper Sebastien Viera, a target for Arsenal last year. The back-four take few chances and with three mainly defensive midfielders in Marco Senna, Alessio Tacchinardi and Juan Pablo Sorin, Villarreal are difficult to break down.
If Riquelme is excused ball-winning duties, former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan and Jose Mari are a strike force who, in Mancini's words, "constantly tracked back."
Henry said: "They are well organised. They base their game on being tight together, making sure they can hit you on the break. They are a good team, play good football and if you let them play they can really hurt you.
"What we need to do is defend well as a team and as soon as we can, attack. We need to do it like we do it in the Premier League - that is one thing which surprised Juventus. They are not used to a team having a go at them all the time, getting behind their defence, or putting a high pace into the game. That is what we will have to try to do."
9:21 AM - April 18, 2006 - {0} -
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Villarreal are full of optimism heading into their most important stretch of the campaign beginning with Friday's game at defending champions Barcelona.
The clash is between two teams that have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Villarreal midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme, who joined the club from Barcelona, told the his club's official website: "I'm feeling good, as is the rest of the team.
"Barcelona have the best squad in the league and they don't depend on one single player.
"What's more, they're very used to playing three games a week and they have an important advantage - they won the league a long time ago. They're not nervous of playing in an important game."
Barcelona are 11 points clear of Real Madrid with six games remaining.
"I believe we are capable of winning in Barcelona or in any place," Riquelme added.
1:34 PM - April 12, 2006 - {0} -
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A knockout competition always brings out the best or worst in players, no matter what class they boast.
And when it came to the Argentinian show on stage, Villarreal's Juan Roman Riquelme and Juan Pablo Sorin outshone Inter's Juan Veron, Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti and Walter Samuel.
Yet, with two months to go before the World Cup, Argentina will be glad so many of their countrymen helped to power the two teams to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The pick of the bunch this morning was Man of the Match Riquelme, the man whom Argentina see as the playmaker who holds the key to their World Cup chances.
It took him some time to warm up, but once he struck the right beat, the tango rhythm he set for Villarreal was irresistible.
A prime example came in the 42nd minute when he flicked the ball away from Cambiasso and over Veron - the man he has superceded in the Argentinian playmaking role.
He shielded the ball from Veron, who lost his balance and fell. It was a poignant moment.
Riquelme then turned round, got past Portuguese star Luis Figo and Cambiasso again, shrugged them off to line up a shot, but it went too high over the goal.
In the 58th minute, he was brought down by Figo after a surging run. From 25 metres out, he sent his curling free-kick over the Inter defence for compatriot Rodolfo Arruabarrena to send his glancing header over goalkeeper Francesco Toldo. Riquelme became more daring from then on, turning up the heat.
In the 63rd minute, he danced past Veron and inside Samuel, sidestepped Marco Materazzi for a shot, but saw him blocking his kick with a desperate lunge.
But the best moment came in the 82nd minute. Riquelme received the ball on the extreme right wing as he headed towards the corner flag.
From an angle of about 30 degrees, he sent a cracking shot straight towards goal, with Toldo and the rest of the footballing world expecting the cross instead.
The ball was about to cross the goal-line until Toldo somehow reached back and blocked it out.
Incredible shot from Riquelme. Incredible save from Toldo.
Overall, Riquelme's vision and through-passes were brilliant and Inter never really found a way to break up his sublime performance.
If he carries on at this rate in the Champions League, Argentina will be in raptures because he seems to be peaking at the right time.
After all, the South Americans need a magical answer to Brazil's Ronaldinho or England's Wayne Rooney if they are to stand a chance of winning the World Cup on 9 July.
Argentina face Holland, Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro in Group C of the World Cup starting on 9 June.
12:53 PM - April 6, 2006 - {0} -
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Villarreal have progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League after a 1-0 win over Inter Milan saw them through on the away goals rule.
Left-back Rodolfo Arruabarrena headed home Juan Roman Riquelme's free-kick 13 minutes into the second-half to give the home side the lead on the night.
However, with Inter unable to find an equaliser, Diego Forlan's goal inside the first minute of the first leg at the San Siro became decisive and the Spaniards will now face either Arsenal or Juventus in the last four.
Having been slightly the better side in the first leg, which they won 2-1, the Italians were left chasing the game as Villarreal imposed themselves from the start.
They had a goal chalked off early on as Jose Mari headed home from Javi Venta's cross only for the referee to blow for a push on former Everton defender Marco Materazzi.
However, despite dominating much of the possession and having Riquelme's creativity, Villarreal struggled to find the cutting edge they needed to bring the tie level overall.
The second-half followed a similar pattern but Francesco Toldo was forced into a good save from Riquelme's long-range drive early on.
The home side were showing more penetration and found the net on 58 minutes.
Riquelme's free-kick from the right picked out Arruabarrena, who had found some space at the back post, and the defender flicked home a header from 12 yards.
Forlan nearly made it two soon after but was denied by a great save from Toldo before the Italian goalkeeper denied Riquelme a goal his efforts deserved ten minutes from time.
Villarreal's Argentine international Juan Pablo Sorin was left with a nasty head wound after being elbowed by Materazzi but the Inter defender escaped punishment on the night as Inter's frustration began to show.
Inter's best chance of the game came in the closing moments when Dejan Stankovic's sweetly struck shot brought a good parry from Sebastian Vieira.
However, the Spanish side, who are currently eighth in La Liga, closed out the game to progress to the last four.
12:38 PM - April 5, 2006 - {0} -
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Ronaldinho converted a penalty but Ronaldo equalized in a 1-1 draw between Spanish league leader FC Barcelona and a 10-man Real Madrid on Saturday.
The result at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium left Barca 11 points atop the standings and requiring 10 points from its last seven games to retain its title.
Second-place Madrid, which looks set to end a third straight season without a trophy, played the last 65 minutes with 10 men following the ejection of Roberto Carlos for two yellow cards.
In other 31st-round games, Villarreal edged Zaragoza 1-0 to climb to seventh place, while Real Sociedad eased its relegation fears by beating fellow struggler Malaga 3-0.
Barcelona has 69 points, followed by Madrid with 58 and Osasuna with 55. Valencia is next with 53 points, while Sevilla has 51.
Madrid captain Raul, who has played against Barcelona 29 times, was omitted from the team's starting lineup. The Spain striker has struggled since returning last month from the serious knee injury he sustained during November's 3-0 defeat by the Catalan team.
Barcelona midfielder Mark van Bommel missed his side's first chance in the fourth minute with a chip over goalkeeper Iker Casillas which went just wide in the fourth minute.
Van Bommel was involved again in the 20th minute when he won Barcelona's penalty by being felled by Roberto Carlos' sliding tackle.
The Brazilian left back received a yellow card for protesting just before Ronaldinho sent Casillas the wrong way with his seventh penalty of the season. It was Ronaldinho's fourth goal in four matches against Madrid.
Madrid's problems worsened in the 25th minute when Roberto Carlos received his second yellow for again arguing with referee Luis Medina Cantalejo.
However, Madrid equalized 12 minutes later when Ronaldo raced on to Julio Baptista's through ball before lifting it over goalkeeper Victor Valdes. The Brazilian ran through unchallenged because defender Thiago Motta pulled up with a thigh injury and was then carried off.
The goal by Ronaldo was his third in Madrid's last league games.
Madrid left Ronaldo alone up front in the second half, focusing its efforts on defense. Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson still managed a free run on goal in the 66th minute but was unable to beat Casillas.
Barcelona pressed for the winning goal in the closing stages, which were halted briefly when a spectator ran onto the field before being apprehended by security staff.
Casillas made a series of saves to preserve the draw for Madrid although Larsson missed Barcelona's last chance in injury time when he headed wide from substitute Juliano Belletti's cross.
A group of Barcelona fans hurled bottles, cans and stones and broke a window of Madrid's team bus as it arrived about 90 minutes before kickoff, news agency Efe reported.
The match had been in doubt until Friday when Spanish referees called off their threatened strike over unpaid wages.
Elsewhere, Villarreal midfielder Roger Garcia floated a free kick over unaware Zaragoza goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez and earned his side three points at Zaragoza's La Romareda stadium.
Roger was replacing free-kick expert Juan Roman Riquelme, who was rested ahead of Tuesday's European Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Inter Milan.
Inter won the first leg 2-1.
Villarreal has 48 points, seven more than 10th-place Zaragoza, which plays Espanyol in the Copa del Rey final on April 12.
Sociedad, which is aiming to avoid a return to the second division after 39 years, ended a run of three defeats and gave new coach Jose Mari Bakero his first victory in his second game.
Rookie defender Ion Ansotegui scored his first goal for the team in the 36th minute when he headed home from close range.
Malaga had Juan Rodriguez ejected in the 67th minute and, moments later, striker Morten Skoubo doubled Sociedad's lead.
Midfielder Xabi Prieto sealed the Basque team's win with a chipped shot 13 minutes later. Substitute Richard Morales' ejection shortly afterward left Malaga with nine men.
Sociedad stayed 18th with 31 points, while last place Malaga, winless in nine games, has 23. 10:47 AM - April 3, 2006 - {0} -
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Inter Milan are under a familiar pressure ahead of tonight¡¯s Champions League quarterfinal first leg match against Spain¡¯s Villarreal.
Saturday¡¯s defeat to Parma left Inter in third place, trailing Serie A leaders Juventus 13 points and Roberto Mancini¡¯s side are now five points adrift of second placed Milan.
Mancini knows that failure in Europe will leave him with little to show for his efforts at the San Siro this season and intensify speculation about his future.
But the coach, who despite the result said he was pleased with Inter¡¯s performance, is determined not to let Saturday¡¯s setback turn into the kind of crisis the club have frequently had to deal with in the 16 years since their last Serie A title.
¡°We can¡¯t have a drama every time that the team loses, especially after a game like the one at Parma, where we played well. I am looking closely at the team and I would be worried if we had played badly,¡± said Mancini.
¡°In fact the only worry I have is that the team are finding it hard work to score but that is a problem that we have had since the first day of the season. We are in good shape and playing well so I don¡¯t have any big worries,¡± the coach said.
The poor form of Brazilian Adriano has been a major factor in Inter¡¯s lack of goal sharpness and Mancini may be tempted to look at an alternative in the form of Argentine Julio Ricardo Cruz while Nigerian Obafemi Martins will compete with Uruguayan forward Alvaro Recoba for a place in the starting line-up.
Whoever Mancini opts to play in attack will almost certainly be without the creative support of Portuguese winger Luis Figo, whose muscle strain looks likely to rule him out.
Without Figo, captain Javier Zanetti will probably push forward into midfield.
Villarreal¡¯s Argentinian play- maker Juan Roman Riquelme said his side would have to show a marked improvement from the weekend if they were to have any chance against Inter.
Struggling Betis went 2-0 up inside the opening 24 minutes in the Madrigal on Saturday, before Juan Pablo Sorin pulled a goal back for Villarreal near the end.
¡°It is obvious Inter are the clear favourites to progress to the semis, and they will be even more so if we play like we did in the first half against Betis,¡± Riquelme was quoted as saying in sports daily AS on Monday.
¡°We made schoolboy errors and now it will be very difficult to qualify for Europe again next year,¡± the midfielder said.
The Betis defeat left Villarreal eighth in the Primera Liga, three points short of the lowest Uefa Cup slot available, with only eight games left.
¡¬ AC Milan¡¯s Dutch defender Jaap Stam has failed in his bid to be fit for tonight¡¯s Champions League quarterfinal away to Olympique Lyon.
Former Manchester United defender Stam had hoped his calf problem would have eased in time for the first-leg tie but he was not named in Milan¡¯s travelling party for the game.
With Brazilian Cafu still sidelined and captain Paolo Maldini not ready to start ¡ª although he will feature on the bench ¡ª Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said that experienced former Italy international defender Alessandro Costacurta was likely to play at right back.
8:49 AM - March 29, 2006 - {0} -
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A weakened FC Barcelona drew 0-0 on its visit to last-place Malaga on Saturday, leaving the defending champion in need of 14 points from its eight remaining games to be certain of winning its 18th Spanish league title.
Barcelona lies 13 points clear of second-place Osasuna, which lost 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao in Saturday's late game.
Barcelona has 68 points, while Osasuna stayed with 55. Real Madrid (54) and Valencia (53) each have the chance to move into second on Sunday. Madrid hosts Deportivo La Coruna, with Valencia visiting Sevilla.
Barcelona rested Ronaldinho and Deco with a view to the Champions League first leg quarterfinal against Benfica in Lisbon on Tuesday. The team was also without suspended captain Carles Puyol and the injured Lionel Messi, Rafael Marquez, Edmilson and Xavi Hernandez.
"It was a fair result which reflected the game. We didn't play a very good match but we showed the right attitude against a fired-up Malaga team," Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard was quoted as saying by news agency Efe.
In another 30th-round game, Real Betis defeated Villarreal 2-1.
Also on Sunday, its Celta Vigo vs. Mallorca; Espanyol vs. Alaves; Getafe vs. Real Sociedad; Racing Santander vs. Zaragoza; and Cadiz vs. Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona met with a resolute Malaga, which extended its winless streak to eight games and is threatened by a return to the second division for the first time since 1999.
Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson, bidding for his sixth goal in as many games, came closest to scoring in the early stages when his header was clawed away on the line by goalkeeper Francesc Arnau, who was a Barcelona reserve in the 1990s.
Barcelona believed it had scored through a 39th-minute strike by Samuel Eto'o. The goal was initially allowed, but referee Julian Santiago changed his decision after Malaga players argued that Larsson handled the ball. Television replays appeared to show the offense was by Malaga defender Fernando Sanz.
Malaga was forced onto the defensive after halftime, with Arnau making a series of saves to deny Eto'o, Larsson, Ludovic Giuly and substitute Andres Iniesta.
Eto'o fired onto the crossbar in the third minute of injury time to leave Barcelona with its second goalless draw of the season.
Osasuna suffered a blow to its hope of a debut in next season's Champions League with a defeat at San Mames stadium which ended its run of three straight wins.
Bilbao defender Luis Prieto headed the only goal from Fran Yeste's floated free kick on the hour and helped to extend his side's unbeaten run to four games.
The Basque team, which this season has labored under the threat of its first ever relegation, rose to 12th place with 33 points.
Two substitutes, Bilbao's Ismael Urzaiz and Osasuna's Ludovic Delporte, were ejected after a flare-up in injury time.
Brazilian striker Robert scored two first-half goals to ease Betis' fears of relegation.
Robert stooped to meet Edu Schmidt's right-side cross with a
lancing header in the 11th minute and fired in a rising shot after taking advantage of a mistake by captain Quique Alvarez 12 minutes later.
Villarreal substitute Juan Pablo Sorin reduced the deficit in the 79th with a deft header from a cross by his Argentine compatriot, Juan Roman Riquelme.
Villarreal was infuriated by referee Fernando Teixeira's decision to call time just as Betis defender David Rivas upended striker Guillermo Franco in the penalty area.
Betis' victory at El Madrigal stadium lifted it four places to 13th with 33 points. Villarreal stayed eighth with 45 points.
Villarreal's first home defeat of 2006 came four days before it makes its debut in the Champions League quarterfinals. The team visits Inter Milan in the first leg.
1:30 PM - March 27, 2006 - {0} -
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The absence of Villarreal playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme has dominated the build-up to Atletico Madrid's Primera Liga trip to El Madrigal on Saturday.
The influential 27-year-old, who was linked with a possible move to Atletico last summer, is suspended for the match, which is bad news for the home side who normally struggle without him directing their play.
Not only does the Argentina international provide the link between the midfield and attack but he also has a keen eye for goal and is his side's leading scorer with 11 strikes.
Seventh-placed Villarreal have only managed two wins in their last seven league matches and are two points ahead of eighth-placed Atletico as the race for the European places hots up.
"It is clear for everyone to see that we struggle without Riquelme," said Villarreal's Argentinian defender Rodolfo Arruabarrena.
"Sometimes we have to play in a different way, with a more pragmatic style. He gives us a lot of options but we are able to survive without him."
The statistics seem to show otherwise, but the 27-year-old returned from injury just in time for the Champions League clash with Rangers
earlier this month and helped steer the side to a quarter-final showdown with Internazionale.
As a reward for the club's recent success, coach Manuel Pellegrini had his contract extended during the week until the end of 2007, although his team only managed a 1-1 draw away to struggling Real Mallorca last time out.
Atletico, meanwhile, are the Primera Liga's form team at present with seven wins in their last eight outings as they aim for European qualification with 11 matches remaining this season.
Last weekend they scraped a 2-1 win at home to Racing Santander.
"Playing Villarreal is a good benchmark for us because they are in the Champions League," said Atletico coach Pepe Murcia.
"If we can beat them it proves we can live with the top sides."
And even Murcia recognised the influence of Riquelme for their opponents.
"We have Maxi Rodriquez missing for the game, which is a blow for us," he added.
"But Riquelme is more important for them than Maxi is for us - 80% of their play goes through Riquelme.
"At least we have cover in the squad. We are all working well and have a great team spirit with everyone working hard for each other."
Murcia will be without suspended winger Martin Petrov and midfielder Gabi but is boosted by the return of Peter Luccin from suspension and Ariel Ibagaza from injury.
Maxi, the club's second highest scorer with nine goals, will be sidelined with a muscle injury and could miss both league games next week.
9:00 AM - March 17, 2006 - {0} -
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