| An
exciting finish to the league season, with a three horse race for the Pichichi
title as teams came in to the last day. Javi Moreno was the first of the three
to play, with his match brought forward to Saturday as neither Alavés
nor their rivals Numancia had anything left to play for. Alavés lost,
but Moreno got a goal in his last game for the club to move level with
Raúl on 22 at the top of the table pending Sunday's games. Barcelona and
Real Madrid kicked off at the same time as each other, with Rivaldo needing
three goals to overtake the joint leaders. Within four minutes he had reduced
the gap to one with a free kick, but then Raúl struck in the Bernabeu to
go out in front by himself. Rivaldo got another two minutes later, and it was
all down to the last 45 minutes. Five minutes from the end though the Real
Madrid striker added his second of the game and his 24th of the season, and
although Rivaldo completed his hat-trick with a spectacular bicycle kick in the
last minute to take Barcelona into the Champions League, he ended the day still
a goal behind his rival. This was the second time in three years that the pair
of them have finished in first and second spot, with Raúl also pipping
the Brazilian star at the post in the 1998/99 season. Incidentally last year's
Pichichi Salva, now with Atlético Madrid, set an unusual record
finishing as Pichichi in the second division this year. Rivaldo still finished
top of Soccer-Spain's "all club competition" table (not a great consolation
we're afraid), and has a chance to extend his lead in the cup if Brazil's new
manager Scaloni lets him off international duty for a few more days. Lots of
goals too from the other top goalscorers, and even Catanha got on the
scoresheet after a drought of nine weeks. Makaay got one of Deportivo's four
against Málaga, with Djalminha coming back in to the side to get two
more to make a late entry into our chart. Diego Tristán was injured this
week. Iván Rosado saved Osasuna with his fourteenth of the season, but
Oli's fifteenth did Oviedo no good as they were relegated in Osasuna's place
after losing to Mallorca. Once again Eto'o was instrumental in winning that
game, and he got his fourth in three games to confirm their Champions League
spot. Zaragoza's Esnaider was playing his last game for Zaragoza, but he got
his name in the wrong headlines this week (see villains section for more
details), and it was up to his teammate Jamelli to save the furniture for his
club and earn them a valuable draw to keep them in the first division. He too
could increase his tally as Zaragoza take on Atlético Madrid in the two
leg cup semi-finals this week, with the winners to play either Barcelona or
Celta in the final in a fortnight's time. The final table will be published 90
minutes or so after the fat lady sings. (18.06.01) |
