Football: Fabregas snatches draw for Barcelona
Spanish scores in closing stages of La Liga match.
BARCELONA:
A clinical Cesc Fabregas strike rescued a point for champions Barcelona in a 2-2 draw away to Valencia.
Valencia went ahead after just 11 minutes when Eric Abidal put a Jeremy Mathieu cross into his own net but, just two minutes later, Pedro Rodriguez equalised after a neat interchange between Cesc and Lionel Messi.
Valencia enjoyed possession and went ahead again as Pablo Hernandez put away a Mathieu cross. But it was not until the final stages of the match that Fabregas placed the ball past the keeper.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said that he had never considered the title race to be a two-club affair.
“People not directly involved said that the league was between two teams,” he said. “But the coaches and players would never say that.”
In another match, Real Madrid’s slump continued as they could only draw 0-0 away to Real Santander.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.
A clinical Cesc Fabregas strike rescued a point for champions Barcelona in a 2-2 draw away to Valencia.
Valencia went ahead after just 11 minutes when Eric Abidal put a Jeremy Mathieu cross into his own net but, just two minutes later, Pedro Rodriguez equalised after a neat interchange between Cesc and Lionel Messi.
Valencia enjoyed possession and went ahead again as Pablo Hernandez put away a Mathieu cross. But it was not until the final stages of the match that Fabregas placed the ball past the keeper.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said that he had never considered the title race to be a two-club affair.
“People not directly involved said that the league was between two teams,” he said. “But the coaches and players would never say that.”
In another match, Real Madrid’s slump continued as they could only draw 0-0 away to Real Santander.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2011.