Atletico, Barcelona into title showdown
Real hopes fade
MADRID, May 11, (AFP): Atletico Madrid will travel to face Barcelona next weekend with the La Liga title on the line after both sides were held to draws on Sunday.
Barcelona could only draw 0-0 at Elche but Atletico were held 1-1 at home by Malaga, and so Barca still trail Diego Simeone’s side by three points with a game to go.
The Catalans will be champions with a win next Sunday thanks to a better head-to-head record.
Real Madrid’s challenge is mathematically over, though, as they were beaten 2-0 away to Celta Vigo.
Atletico wasted the chance to seal their first title in 18 years at home as a win allied with Barca dropping points would have handed them the championship.
Atletico fell behind 25 minutes from time as Samuel headed into an empty net after lobbing Thibaut Courtois, but Toby Alderweireld’s header nine minutes later did at least salvage their unbeaten home record in the league this season.
Barcelona, meanwhile, were held by a side battling relegation for the second time in as many games as they couldn’t find a way past Manu Herrera in the Elche goal. Open which starts later this month.
The 2012 Roland Garros champion had shown glimpses of her best on her run to the final but looked all at sea in the early stages against a fired-up Halep, who attacked the Russian, five years her senior, at every opportunity.
The match was a clash of two very different styles, with the rangy Sharapova, her shrieks echoing around the Magic Box arena every time she struck the ball, relying on power and the stocky Halep a bundle of energy scurrying around the court.
Halep quickly opened a 4-0 lead before Sharapova finally managed to hold in the fifth game after saving another break point.
Some courtside advice from her coach at an earlier changeover to up her speed and try to hit the corners did not appear to have helped, however, as Halep broke again in game seven to secure the set.
Before Sunday, Sharapova had dropped the opening set 24 times in finals and fought back to win seven times and she changed the tone of the match with a break of the Halep serve in the opening game of the second set.