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BARCELONA, Spain - Barcelonas 0-0 draw at Osasuna on Saturday left the Spanish champion one win short of matching the league record for most victories to start the season. Packers #39 Jersey . Atletico Madrid could take over as the league leader with a late victory at Espanyol that would equal the 45-year-old league milestone of nine wins through the first nine rounds held by Real Madrid. Lionel Messi went on as a substitute in the 68th minute after he recovered from a right leg injury this week, but not even Barcelonas all-time leading scorer could unlock Osasunas defence. The draw left Barcelona three points ahead of Madrid following its 2-0 win over Malaga thanks to goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria. Barcelona hosts Madrid next weekend in the first clasico of the season after both play Italian rivals, AC Milan and Juventus, in the Champions League midweek. Also, Real Sociedad broke an eight-game winless streak in all competitions with a morale-boosting 2-1 victory at Valencia before it travels to Manchester United on Tuesday in the Champions League. Di Maria scored for Madrid seconds after halftime with a cross intended for Ronaldo that caught Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero out of position. Madrids 100-million-euro winger Gareth Bale went on for the final 15 minutes after recovering from a leg injury and earned a questionable penalty that Ronaldo converted in injury time. Ronaldos eighth goal of the season took him level with Messi. Both trail Atletico striker Diego Costa with 10. "My players attitudes were much better," said Ancelotti, who this week said his team played so poorly recently it could only improve. "We defended well, were more aggressive and played with our lines closer together," he said. "I hope to see this same intensity in the games to come. We recovered the ball well, applied pressure well and maintained our positions. That was the difference from other games." Ancelotti said striker Karim Benzema would be back in his squad against Juventus on Wednesday after he missed Saturdays game due to a leg knock he had picked up in training. Youngster Alvaro Morata started in his place and was Madrids most active player in an otherwise dull first half that only saw Ronaldo hit the crossbar in the eighth minute. While Madrid again failed to impress, it improved as the match went on and was stopped from recording a bigger win only by Caballero. Caballero made an excellent reflex save with his left foot to deny Ronaldo from close range in the 82nd and two minutes later used his right hand to parry substitute Jese Rodriguezs low shot past his upright. Di Maria said he wanted to see Caballero join him on Argentinas national team as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup. "I believe Caballero deserves to go," Di Maria said. But Caballero couldnt reach Ronaldos well-placed spot kick after Bale went flying to the turf following what appeared to be light contact with Malaga defender Weligton. Bale had done little before the penalty in his first action since injuring his left hamstring last month. An organized Osasuna renounced the ball from the start but did well to keep Barcelona in check throughout. With Messi watching, Barcelona was limited to Neymars occasional incursions with his diabolic dribbling and a header from defender Marca Bartra that he thumped well high from outside the six-yard box in the 44th. The first cracks began to show in Osasunas defence in the second half when Cesc Fabregas wasted Xavi Hernandezs throughball by shooting over the bar in the 61st. Messi went on shortly after but he was unable to get a clear look at goal as Osasuna took off its lone striker and added midfielder Francisco Punal to hang on to the point. "We knew it would be a complicated game," said Barcelona defender Carles Puyol, who played his first game in seven months after recovering from knee surgery. "These grounds are always tough. We had our chances but just lacked that finishing touch in the final meters." At Mestalla Stadium, Antoine Griezmann opened for Sociedad in the 41st and Ruben Pardo sent a swerving long strike just inside the post to effectively seal the result in the 59th. Dorlan Pabon snatched Valencias consolation goal before the final whistle. B.J. Raji Packers Jersey . Nadal last played Berlocq at the Brasil Open and had to come from behind to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Berlocq said Nadal looked to be in better physical condition now than in February, saying "he is in an awesome shape. Julius Peppers Packers Jersey .J. Green and Calgarys Brad Sinopoli have bested their earlier opponents to go head-to-head in the second semi-final match. (Sports Network) - Mired in their worst slump in more than two years, the Florida Marlins turn to right-hander Chris Volstad tonight when they conclude a three-game series with the visiting Atlanta Braves at Sun Life Stadium. The skid reached seven games for the Marlins on Wednesday night, when Freddie Freemans one-out RBI single in the top of the 10th handed the Braves a thrilling 3-2 victory. The loss marked the first time Florida has dropped as many as seven straight since April 2009. Trailing 2-0 and down to their final strike in the ninth, the Marlins brought two across the plate with a Mike Stanton single to right. Florida again threatened in the bottom of the 10th when Scott Proctor allowed runners to reach first and second with one down, but George Sherrill struck out Greg Dobbs and Scott Linebrink erased Gaby Sanchez to end the threat. Michael Dunn (4-4) took the loss after allowing Freemans game-winning RBI. Volstad, a 24-year-old product of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was 2-1 on the season after a 4-2 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 26, but has since dropped four decisions in seven starts. He allowed sixx hits and three runs over seven innings of a 3-2 loss to Milwaukee on June 4, and, one start earlier, was raked for eight hits and five runs in just 3 1/3 innings of a 15-4 defeat in Arizona. Jamari Lattimore Packers Jersey. Volstad dropped a 5-0 decision to the Braves on April 12 in Atlanta and is 2-3 against them in seven career starts. For Atlanta, 25-year-old ace Jair Jurrjens aims to rediscover his own winning form. The Curacao native was 5-0 after downing Philadelphia, 5-3, on May 14, but has since dropped two of four starts, including a 5-0 verdict to the Mets in New York on June 4. In that game, Jurrjens allowed six hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings. He has eight career starts against the Marlins and is 4-1 with a 3.86 earned run average and 35 strikeouts in 49 innings. Atlanta is second in the National League East and trails the front-running Phillies by three games, while the Marlins are third in the five-team loop and sit five games behind the leaders. Florida took two of three meetings with Atlanta from April 12-14 of this season, but the Braves have won nine of the 13 most recent encounters between the NL East foes. ' ' ' |
