Real Madrid are aiming to trump LiThe Brazilian has held talks with Liverpool and even visited Anfield this year, however the left-sided defender failed to sign a pre-contract with the European champs.

Juan Figer, Aurelio´s agent, met with the player on Wednesday to discuss all the offers he has received - Liverpool, Real Madrid and Villarreal, with the Yellow Submarines the most lucrative.

Figer plans for more talks with Real officials tomorrow. Aurelio has jumped to the top of their shortlist of potential left-back signings, which also include Arsenal´s Ashley Cole and Eric Abidal of Lyon.

Liverpool for off contract Valencia wing-back Fabio Aurelio.

Real Madrid odds great Alfredo Di Stefano has criticized the Spanish club for its lack of long-term planning and an obsession with buying new players.

The 79-year-old Argentine, who steered Real to five consecutive European Cups between 1956 and 1960, said the club´s policies had undermined team spirit and affected performance.

"It´s amazing how many players they have been buying and selling," he said on Tuesday. "You can´t run a football club as if it was a supermarket."

Di Stefano was speaking after being presented with a gold medal by the regional government of Madrid in recognition of his achievements.

Real spent around 90 million euros ($113.9m) on new players prior to the start of last season, but it has not prevented the club from ending a third campaign in succession without a major trophy, its worst run of form in more than 50 years.

Spanish media have been reporting that the club is planning another spending spree in an attempt to revive its fortunes, but Di Stefano said it would be a mistake to try and buy their way out of trouble.

"We have to try and improve next year," said Di Stefano. "We have to work with the youth team players first... we have to persevere and try to get better.

"There are some great players at Real but they have to work as a team... in football what counts is team spirit. It isn´t an individual sport like boxing or tennis."

Di Stefano added that he was saddened by Zinedine Zidane´s recent announcement that he would be retiring at the end of the season.

"It´s a shame (that Zidane will be retiring). He´s the best player to have graced the pitch in a very long time. He is a footballing genius."

But he said that if reports that the club was trying to buy Arsenal striker Thierry Henry were true then it was another example of poor planning.

"We had the chance to buy him (Henry) eight years ago and they didn´t want him. And now he´s going to come here when he´s eight years older while at the same time they are getting rid of Zidane at the age of 33? I don´t understand any of it."

Florentino Perez, the architect of Real´s policy of buying big-name players in order to boost the club´s profile, quit as president at the end of February and his successor Fernando Martin was forced to resign last month.

Real now have a provisional president in Luis Gomez-Montejano who will oversee the club until a presidential election is called at the end of the season.

Osasuna were looking for a win that would take them above Real Madrid spreads in the Spanish Primera Liga standings when they hosted the third placed Merengues at the Reyno de Navarra Stadium on Sunday night.
The home side went closest to scoring in the first half, but Ludovic Delporte´s 37th minute curling free kick hit a goal post before the danger was cleared.
Real were awarded a penalty kick just five minutes into the second half after Julio Baptista´s run into the penalty area was halted by Raul Garcia´s ill-advised lunge.
Brazilian Baptista gathered the ball and fired his penalty kick high into Ricardo´s goal to put the visitors 1-0 ahead in the 51st minute.
As the Real players celebrated by the corner flag, some of the Osasuna fans began to throw objects on to the pitch.
A small metal jug, which could have caused serious harm, narrowly missed Baptista and his teammates.
Osasuna were offered an opportunity to pull level in the 63rd minute when Pierre Webo won a penalty kick - the Cameroonian going down in the box after coming together with former Osasuna defender Pablo Garcia.
Francisco Punal´s spot kick was punched away by Iker Casillas though and Michel Salgado turned the ball over his own crossbar from close range after Webo drove it back into the danger area.
Salgado came to his teams rescue in the 79th minute, diving in at the back post to block Delporte´s goal bound shot.
Osasuna´s desperate search for an equaliser was given a boost in the 81st minute when Casillas needlessly came out of his goal to head the ball away from Webo.
The ball went out for a throw in before Casillas booted it away.
The Spanish international had already been booked and the referee had little choice but to show a second yellow card and send Casillas off.
However, his replacement, Diego Lopez, had little to do in the remaining minutes of normal time, and a considerable stretch of injury time.
Roberto Carlos, who was booed throughout by the Osasuna crowd, almost made it 2-0 to Real in injury time, but one of his trademark long range free kicks was stopped by Ricardo.
That free kick was awarded after Baptista was scythed down by Mohamed El Yaagoubi and although the Brazilian was still on the pitch as the final whistle blew, his World Cup aspirations could be effected by injury.
Real won a bad tempered game 1-0 to close to within two points of Valencia, who beat Alaves 3-0 earlier in the day to consolidate second place and move a step closer to automatic qualification into the group stage of next season´s Champions League.
Osasuna slipped to four points behind third place Real in the league standings.

Real Madrid betting goalkeeper Iker Casillas said the constant changes behind the scenes at the club were unsettling players as they tried to focus on securing a Champions League place for next season.

"There have been a lot of comings and goings which is fine if it's in the club's best interests, but so many changes cannot be good," Casillas told a news conference on Thursday.

On Wednesday the club's board ousted president Fernando Martin after only two months at the helm, in order to hold presidential elections at the end of the season.

Martin had replaced Florentino Perez, who quit at the end of February. Until elections can be held Luis Gomez-Montejano has been installed as president on an interim basis.

"It isn't logical to have three presidents in three months but the players have to try and forget about all this and focus on the Osasuna game," the Spain international added.

"Things haven't gone well on the pitch recently and it is obvious his has caused there to be changes internally.

"But it's difficult for players to distance themselves from what is going on within the club, and it is unsettling."

Third-placed Real are 10 points adrift of leaders Barcelona, who also have a game in hand, and are two short of Valencia in second.

On Sunday Real, who have drawn six of their last eight games, travel north to face Osasuna, who are a point behind in fourth.

Real Madrid odds coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro once more defended his team's display after they escaped with a 2-1 win over basement club Malaga on Sunday.

An 89th-minute header from defender Sergio Ramos spared Real's blushes at the Bernabeu to end a run of three Primera Liga games without a win.

But with Valencia also winning 3-0 against Athletic Bilbao, Madrid remain third in the standings with just four games remaining.

Yet Lopez Caro was as happy with the display as he was the three points.

"I'm very pleased with the depth and intensity that the whole team displayed throughout the game," he said.

"It's true that we were lucky at the end with the late goal, but the team have worked hard both in terms of possession and of creating openings."

Lopez Caro also praised the contribution of David Beckham with the England captain back in the starting line-up having been relegated to the bench for the 1-1 draw with Getafe last weekend.

"Beckham played very well, as did his team-mates, and we had 32 attempts on goal, one of our highest statistics this season," he added.

Match-winner Ramos was also thrilled after notching his fourth goal of the season.

"It was a difficult game for us and Malaga were playing for survival but we created lots of chances and I think the result was a fair reflection of the way the game unfolded," the defender said.

For Malaga coach Manolo Hierro, the performance was something to be proud of despite the disappointment of Real's late goal.

"There were phases of the game in which we played very well and Edgar could have put us 2-1 ahead in the second half," Hierro said.

"We played at a very high level and we can not forget that we had a magnificent opponent. Our boys gave everything and we can't fault them for the final result."

Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid wagering will next week unveil AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager, Cadena Ser radio said Thursday.

    According to the radio station, Ancelotti "has agreed to come on board for the coming season".

    It added that Arsenal star Henry, who according to reports elsewhere is also a target for Barcelona, would likely follow, particularly if he can first complete his dream of leading the Gunners to the Champions League title.

    Both Ancelotti and the French striker have unfinished business in Europe's premier club competition.

    The nine-times European champions have been coached by former reserve coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro since Brazilian Wanderley Luxemburgo was fired mid-season but that move was intended only as a stop-gap solution.

Second-place Real Madrid spreads leads Valencia only by a ten-point goal difference as La Liga play continues this weekend.

The runner-up spot still remains up for grabs as Real and Valencia take the field Sunday, each holding 59 points.

Real, who has 17 wins, seven losses and eight draws, heads to Getafe to face the ninth-place club.

Getafe hosts Real, following its 2-1 victory over Malaga last Saturday.

Forward Veljko Paunovic scored in the 19th minute and then in the 90th to hand his team the win.

Real enters the match after finishing in a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad last weekend.

Ronaldo scored the lone goal in the 26th minute to grab the point for Real.

Third-place Valencia prepares to face Espanyol Sunday. Valencia welcomes the team, following its 1-0 shutout against Celta. Miguel Angulo´s strike at the half-hour mark proved to be enough for the club to steal the win.

Espanyol´s Walter Pandiani found the back of the net in the 82nd minute and grabbed the equalizer in last weekend´s 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid.

Valencia will be without midfielder Pablo Aimar Sunday. The 26-year-old Argentinian underwent tests after complaining about headaches and high temperatures. The doctors found signs of meningitis and admitted Aimar to the hospital on Wednesday.

Barcelona continues to command La Liga standings with 71 points. The Spanish champions needs just eight points from six matches to regain the 2006 title as it hosts Villarreal Friday.

The two clubs recently advanced to the Champions League semifinals and will meet their opponents next week in the first-leg of the final four.

Also in La Liga action this weekend: On Saturday, Deportivo welcomes Sevilla; Mallorca leads Alaves by only one point as the two clubs meet; Racing heads to Real Sociedad.

On Sunday, Celta looks to recover from its 1-0 loss against Valenica last weekend as the club faces Real Betis; Real Zaragoza challenges Cadiz; Atletico Madrid meets Athletic Bilbao; Osasuna still remains a contender for the runner-up spot as it faces last place Malaga this weekend.

After earning their first victory of the season Saturday, the Colorado Rapids returned to the practice field this week in preparation for week three in Major League Soccer.

After a 5-2 loss during week one at the hands of the Houston Dynamo, the Rapids roared into week two with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Crew for their ´06 home opener.

After conceding the first goal to Columbus in the 10th minute, Jovan Kirovski and Kyle Beckerman scored their second goals of the season, respectively, and Fabrice Noel collected his first goal of the year for the win.

Midfielder Terry Cooke helped set up each goal in Saturday´s match to tie a team record for the most ***ists in one game. Cooke´s three ***ists ties him with former Rapids star Carlos Valderrama and Ross Paule as the only three players to earn three ***ists in one game.

The Rapids had a day off Monday, and returned to training Tuesday to prepare for their week three match against undefeated FC Dallas.

After a 3-2 win over the Fire in week one, FC Dallas made it two in a row with a 2-1 victory in week two over Real Salt Lake.

The club will take the practice field for four days before the Saturday matchup at Invesco Field at Mile High. FC Dallas is likely to make the trip to Colorado without forward Carlos Ruiz, who has been knocked out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. The forward is expected to miss up to two weeks of action.

Midfielder Colin Clark remains out of commission with a right knee sprain. Goalkeeper Matt Jordan is also listed as being out with a lower back injury.

Dedi Ben-Dayan remains doubtful with a left hamstring injury, and Clint Mathis and Matt Crawford are listed as questionable.

Former Real Madrid betting defender Aitor Karanka is still awaiting approval for his work permit from the U.S. Government according to the team. The defender was acquired by the Rapids Sunday, April 2, and has yet to make his debut with the team.

The Rapids also announced that the team would be keeping a close eye on the first Torneo Mexicana de Aviacion tournament during May and June. The tournament features an under-19 age group and is played across the United States. The club´s coaching staff will keep an eye on the games played in the Denver market.

Ronaldo scored his 100th goal but Real Madrid´s spreads 1-1 draw with lowly Real Sociedad on Saturday virtually snuffed out its hopes of catching Spanish league leader FC Barcelona.

Ronaldo, playing his 164th game in all competitions since joining Real from Inter Milan in 2002, volleyed in Zinedine Zidane´s low free kick in the 26th minute at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Sociedad equalized through Mark Gonzalez in the 62nd to leave Madrid 10 points adrift of Barcelona.

Barcelona now needs only nine points from its remaining seven games to ensure it retains its title.

Madrid, which last won a major trophy in 2003, was replaced in second position by Valencia, which edged Celta Vigo 1-0 on the back of Miguel Angel Angulo´s goal.

Midfielder Jose Maria "Guti´´ Gutierrez added to Madrid´s difficulties in the 86th minute by insulting the referee and receiving a red card.

"We didn´t expect this game. We had been making good progress in terms of our play, discipline and attitude,´´ Madrid coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro was quoted as saying.

"The team tried hard to reach our opponent´s goal and win the match but we failed.´´

Following discussions with Madrid president Fernando Martin after the game, Lopez Caro canceled an arrangement for the players to have two and half days off this week.

Barcelona leading

FC Barcelona leads the league with 69 points, followed by Valencia and Madrid with 59. Osasuna has 55 points, four more than Sevilla and Celta.

Madrid, without injured David Beckham and suspended Roberto Carlos, struggled as a lively Gonzalez fired several shots before Ronaldo scored his fourth goal in as many games.

The Brazilian limped off the field to applause in the 57th minute.

With Barcelona´s second consecutive Spanish title all but guaranteed, Real Madrid odds turn their attention to the race for second place in this weekend´s round of La Liga fixtures.

Any lingering hope Real Madrid had of catching Barcelona was effectively extinguished last weekend, when they had to settle for a battling 1-1 draw against their hated rivals in the Nou Camp.

That result left Barcelona 11 points clear with seven more games to play, and only a remarkable collapse between now and the end of the season will deny Frank Rijkaard´s men the title.

So with Barca out of sight, Real will concentrate on seeing off the challenge of third-placed Valencia, and fast-approaching Osasuna in fourth.

Only three points separate the chasing pack, and Real know they can ill afford any slip-ups against relegation threatened Real Sociedad, who they play at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

Real´s fading French maestro Zinedine Zidane has p***ed a fitness test and will be available, but England captain David Beckham may miss the match after sitting out training for the second day in a row.

Barcelona, however, are on a high, having qualified for the Champions League semifinals at the expense of Benfica with a 2-0 win at the Nou Camp in midweek.

Rijkaard´s men have a great chance of winning Europe´s top trophy for the second time, after 1992, and are odds-on favourites to retain their Spanish title which must rankle in Madrid footballing circles.

Barcelona´s Swedish striker Henrik Larsson, a favourite among the fans, said on Thursday there would be no going back on his decision to leave the Catalan giants at the end of the season.

"I have adored every minute I have been here," the 34-year-old Larsson said. "I love the fans, I love the club. But I have already made my decision with my family and nothing will change that."

In other fixtures, Sevilla, who qualified for the UEFA Cup semifinals on Thursday at the expense of Zenit St Petersburg, host Real Zaragoza and, in a battle for European qualification, sixth-placed Celta Vigo host Valencia, in third spot.

Saturday: Malaga vs Getafe, Cadix vs Real Betis, Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo vs Valencia

Sunday: Espanyol vs Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao vs Real Mallorca, Alaves vs Osasuna, Sevilla vs Real Zaragoza, Racing Santander vs Barcelona, Villarreal vs Deportivo La Coruna.

The agreement with insurer American International Group (AIG) is worth £56.5m over four years, the club confirmed.
The deal should help United bolster their squad to help them challenge for domestic and European honours.
Earlier this year, a survey said that Real Madrid wagering had leapfrogged Manchester United to become the world´s richest football club in terms of income.
The club hopes that the shirt deal will go a long way towards helping to finance a recovery.
However, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said the club´s spending policy would remain the same.
"The financial foundation will benefit the club as a whole and we can look forward to years of progress through that," he said.
"But for me it´s always going to be about how we can improve the team and nothing changes in that respect.
"I go to (chief executive) David Gill and say ´this is a player I´d like´, then we ***ess how much it´s going to cost and take it from there."
The new shirt deal has not been without controversy. Earlier this week United were accused of "double dealing" by online casino firm Mansion.
Previously, the UK´s biggest shirt deal was Chelsea´s current £50m five-year agreement with Samsung.
United have been looking for a new sponsor since Vodafone announced in November that it would start sponsoring the Uefa Champions League, both as an official partner and the official mobile network of the competition.

England captain David Beckham is doubtful for Real Madrid´s game against Real Sociedad after he missed training on Wednesday with bruised ribs.
Real Madrid betting are already without French midfielder Zinedine Zidane because of a thigh injury.
"I can´t really do gym exercises because every movement bothers me," Beckham told the club´s website.
"I hope to play on Saturday but I will have to wait and see what happens with the injury."
Real Madrid are second in La Liga - behind Barcelona - but are under pressure for the automatic Champions League qualifying spot from Valencia and Osasuna.

Ronaldinho converted a penalty but Ronaldo equalized in a 1-1 draw between Spanish league leader FC Barcelona and a 10-man Real Madrid spreads 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.

On Sunday, it´s: Osasuna vs. Getafe, Valencia vs. Cadiz, Real Betis vs. Sevilla, Deportivo La Coruna vs. Racing Santander

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.

Real Madrid odds moved up to second place in the Primera Liga on Sunday as it thrashed Deportivo Coruna 4-0 at the Bernabeu.

Real is now 11 points adrift of Barcelona, who was held to a 0-0 draw at bottom club Malaga on Saturday.

Osasuna is two points further back on 55 after losing 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday while Valencia remains on 53 points following its 1-0 defeat away to Sevilla.

Depor defender Hector scored an own goal after just nine minutes in Madrid and Brazilian striker Ronaldo scored Real´s second before the break.

Sergio Ramos and Julio Baptista rounded off the scoring in the second half.  Jordi Lopez put Sevilla in the hunt for a Champions League place by scoring an injury-time header to sink Valencia.

The midfielder had scooped a penalty against the bar in the 76th minute after Roberto Ayala had brought down Argentine compatriot Javier Saviola and was sent off for the challenge.   Fifth-placed Sevilla climbed to within two points of Valencia, who holds the final Champions League spot.

First-half goals from Pablo Contreras and Fernando Baiano gave Celta Vigo a 2-0 home win over Real Mallorca to put the Galicians sixth on 48 points.

Malaga stays at the bottom with 23 points after Saturday´s drawat home to Barca and is four points below Cadiz who drew 1-1 at home to Atletico Madrid.

Real Sociedad is third from bottom with 28 points after losing 2-1 at Getafe

Real Madrid wagering had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Valencia in the Spanish Primera Liga after substitute Ronaldo spurned a golden opportunity to give his side victory when he missed a last-minute penalty.

The Brazilian, who was dropped to the bench by Real coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, earned the spot-kick after he was fouled by Santiago Canizares but the Valencia goalkeeper atoned for his error when he saved Ronaldo´s low shot on Saturday.

Things aren´t going well at the moment but I can only get out of this situation with enthusiasm and hard work,´´ the striker said after the game.

Barcelona on top

The draw played into the hands of leader Barcelona, which has a nine-point lead at the top with a tie in hand.

Barca tops the table on 61 points, Valencia and Real have 52 and Osasuna is six further back with 46.

Earlier, Celta Vigo missed its chance to move into the Champions League places when it lost 2-0 at 10-man Espanyol.

The defeat meant the Galicians, who had won four of their last five games, remain fifth a point behind Osasuna.

Real Sociedad eased its relegation worries by taking its first points in five games with a 1-0 win at Deportivo Coruna.

Sociedad is now five points clear of the relegation zone.

Surprise decision

Real coach Lopez Caro made the surprise decision to leave Ronaldo on the bench after his failure to find the net as Real slipped out of the Champions League in the first knockout round on Wednesday following a goalless draw against Arsenal at Highbury.

He also left out forwards Antonio C***ano and Robinho, choosing instead to play Raul and Julio Baptista up front.

But the changes failed to add more spark to the Real attack and scoring chances were scarce in the first half as the sides battled hard in midfield and got plenty of men behind the ball.

The first clear opportunity did not come until just before the break when Valencia striker David Villa had a goal-bound free kick tipped over the bar by Iker Casillas.

Valencia continued its pressing game in midfield in the second half and although Real had more possession it had problems getting near the opposition area.

Ronaldo substituted Raul just after the hour, although it was his strike partner Baptista who almost opened the scoring a few minutes later.

The Brazilian looked certain to find the net when he got his head to a Zinedine Zidane cross but Canizares produced a great reflex save to scoop the ball off the line.

C***ano and Robinho added new life to the Real front line when they too were thrown into the mix in the final 15 minutes.

The Italian had a hand in winning the penalty when he exchanged a neat one-two with Ronaldo a minute from time.

The Brazilian was felled by Canizares as he burst towards goal but was then denied his 11th goal of the season when the Valencia custodian went the right way to save his spot kick.

Chelsea pips Tottenham

William Gallas scored in the last minute to give league-leading Chelsea a 2-1 win over Tottenham, which moved the Blues 18 points clear atop the English Premier League on Saturday.

The French defender cut in from the left and beat goalkeeper Paul Robinson with a rising 25-yard shot. Michael Essien scored his first goal for Chelsea before Jermaine Jenas made it 1-1 a minute before halftime.

The Blues are unbeaten in their last 32 league games against Tottenham. Spurs´ last league win over Chelsea was in 1990.

The victory helped Chelsea erase the memory of Wednesday´s ouster from the Champions League by Barcelona.

``It was important to win that game,´´ Gallas said. ``At Barcelona we were very sad and now we think only about the Premiership.´´

Captain John Terry agreed, ``From a bad week we are now buzzing, the double is still on and we´ve got a great chance.´´

Chelsea has 75 points. Manchester United, which has played two games fewer, has 57. Next is Liverpool with 55, followed by Tottenham with 49, Blackburn 46, Bolton 45 and Arsenal with 44.

At the bottom, four clubs look vulnerable to relegation. Sunderland is last with 10 points, topped by Portsmouth (21), Birmingham (24) and West Brom (27).

Birmingham went ahead against West Brom in the 49th minute when Curtis Davies pulled down Mikael Forssell inside the area, and the Finland striker converted the penalty.

Albion manager Bryan Robson sent on strikers Nwankwo Kanu and Nathan Ellington and the switch brought an equaliser in the 70th minute. Kanu switched the ball back to his strike partner, who scored with a low shot.

West Brom almost grabbed all three points when Ellington charged clear in injury time but his shot struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced clear.

La Liga´s third place club Real Madrid spreads will host rival Atletico Madrid in the cross-town derby on Saturday, without Florentino Perez and Ronaldo.

Real Madrid enters this weekend´s match after the surprising resignation of former club president Florentino Perez. Perez announced his resignation Monday a day after the club´s 2-1 loss to Mallorca.

Former vice president Fernando Martin accepted Perez´s position and addressed Real Madrid players and fans on Thursday about the current situation of the club.

"This season has yet to end. I hope and wish, as any Real Madrid fan, that we get back on track, progress in the Champions League, and obtain a position in the League that keeps us in Europe."

Martin stressed the importance of a player´s dedication and attitude towards the team.

"Whoever wants to remain with Real Madrid while putting forth minimal effort is very mistaken. He who knows to push himself and fight knows that we will always stand by his side as has always been the case throughout the history of the Club."

During training this week, Real Madrid boss Juan Ramon Lopez Caro placed special emphasis on tactics while preparing for Saturday´s derby. One of those tactics is leaving Brazilian icon, Ronaldo, off the roster.

The 29-year-old striker is expected to return to the squad next Wednesday when Real Madrid faces Arsenal in its Champions League second-leg knockout round.

In the first leg of the tournament, the Premiership club defeated the Spanish side in a 1-0 shutout.

Real Madrid ruined its chance to regain La Liga´s second place spot last weekend when it fell to 16th place Mallorca, 2-1.

Saturday´s derby with Atletico Madrid will be a "Real" test. The ninth place club has not defeated Real since returning to the top flight in 2002. However, Atletico enters the match with six straight victories after devastating last-place Malaga, 5-0 last Saturday.

Atletico Madrid hopes to continue its winning streak and reap the benefits of Real´s current situation.

In other La Liga action this weekend: On Saturday, La Liga champion Barcelona hosts Deportivo; Villarreal looks for a boost of confidence before facing Rangers in the second leg of the Champions League next Tuesday when it faces Alaves; Cadiz welcomes Espanyol.

On Sunday, Sevilla looks for its 13th win when it faces Athletic; 4th place Osasuna battles fifth place Celta; Real Sociedad hosts Real Zaragoza; Getafe looks to place in the top ten when it takes on Real Betis; Last place Malaga tackles second place Valencia; Racing meets Mallorca to conclude league play.

Real Madrid´s odds defeat at Real Mallorca has highlighted a rift between Real Madrid strikers Raul and Ronaldo with the Brazilian responding to earlier criticism from the Spanish international.  Raul had criticised his teammate after the Brazilian stated on the eve of last week´s home defeat by Arsenal that he had "never really felt at home at the Bernabeu" and that fans "don´t show any patience to me."
But following the loss to Mallorca at the weekend, Ronaldo hit back at his fellow ´galactico.´
"Everyone says what he wants and talks about what he wants.   Raul is responsible for his own words and I am for mine, but it´s sure that his words have only made the situation worse," Ronaldo told Cadena Cope radio.
Raul, one of the few home-grown players to have emerged in the last decade for Real, has achieved talismanic status at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo, however, has never really convinced the Real faithful that his heart is in Madrid, and there has been speculation that he will head back to Italy in the summer, either to former club Inter or city rivals Milan.
Real defender Sergio Ramos, who scored a consolation goal in Mallorca, also admitted that morale at the club was low.
"After my goal, I had the impression it was Mallorca who had scored," he said.
"Unity makes you strong and that´s a factor which counts for a lot. It would be different if relations between players were warmer," he added.

Real Madrid wagering president Florentino Perez has told his Italian agent, Enzo Bronzetti, to do all he can to convince Roma to sell Mancini.

Perez has watched the Brazilian for the past month on TV and last night´s performance against Lazio has convinced him to push the boat for the midfielder.

Bronzetti has already delivered Antonio C***ano from Roma and has now been asked to achieve the same thing for Mancini.