Atletico hand Barca first league defeat

DIEGO Forlan's clinical finish and a superb Simao Sabrosa free-kick fired Atletico Madrid to a 2-1 home win over previously unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona last night.

Second-placed Real Madrid's 3-0 win at bottom club Xerez on Saturday had trimmed Barca's lead at the top to two points, and Pep Guardiola's side, missing five first-team defenders through suspension or injury, failed to respond.

With 22 matches played, Barca have 55 points, Real 53 and Valencia, who were held 1-1 at mid-table Sporting Gijon, are third on 43. Erratic Atletico, who are through to the King's Cup final, are 11th with 27.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in Real Madrid's easy win.

The former Manchester United player, returning from a two-game suspension, headed in Kaka's precise cross from the right in the 71st minute. The two combined again a minute later, with the Brazil playmaker passing for Ronaldo to volley home.

Former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa had given Real the lead in the 65th minute. "After the first goal everything was easier for us," Arbeloa said.

Fourth-place Real Mallorca will bid to step up their surprise bid for a Champions League place when they host struggling Tenerife tonight.

In Germany, Ruud van Nistelrooy scored his first Bundesliga goals, when he struck twice to give fourth-place Hamburger SV a 3-1 win away to mid-table Stuttgart.

Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich remain locked together at the top of the table after both sides won again on Saturday. Leverkusen, still unbeaten after 22 games, are ahead on goal difference after defeating Wolfsburg 2-1, while Bayern kept the heat on with an impressive 3-1 victory at home to Borussia Dortmund.

In Italy, second-place Roma closed to within six points of runaway leaders Inter Milan courtesy of a 4-1 win over Palermo, although Jose Mourinho's men would be hoping to re-assert their authority when they visited fourth-place Napoli last night.

Juventus, well out of title contention, earned their first win under new coach Alberto Zaccheroni, as they beat Genoa 3-2, but the decisive goal was tinged with controversy.

With 12 minutes left and the match poised at 2-2 Alessandro Del Piero won and scored a penalty, although pictures clearly showed that the Juve legend had tripped over his own feet.