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Sunderland’s Ki Sung-yueng (center) and Everton’s Sylvain Distin vie for the ball on Saturday. ( AFP-Yonhap) |
LONDON (AP) ― Barcelona isn’t used to such demoralizing weeks. After being eliminated from the Champions League on Wednesday, the Catalan giant made a miserable return to Spanish league action, losing 1-0 at Granada on Saturday and dropping to third place.
It also looked like a bleak day for Arsenal until Arsene Wenger’s side scraped into the FA Cup final by beating second-tier club Wigan in a penalty shootout.
Barcelona’s loss ensured the same Atletico Madrid that ousted it from the Champions League would retain the domestic lead with five more rounds to go ― even before playing Getafe on Sunday.
Real Madrid moved ahead Barcelona into second place ― only behind Atletico on goal difference for now ― after beating Almeria 4-0. With Cristiano Ronaldo out injured, the goals came from Angel Di Maria, Gareth Bale, Isco Alarcon and Alvaro Morata.
Arsenal will have a chance to end its nine-year trophy drought in the FA Cup final next month, but it needed a late equalizer from Per Mertesacker to force the semifinal against Wigan into extra time before winning 4-2 in a shootout.
