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Spain: Primera Liga Saturday Wrap [Sun Sep 18th, 2005]
Deportivo La Coruña moved to the top of the table after earning a point from a draw at Valencia, while Mallorca scored their first goals of the campaign to hammer Real Sociedad.
In a fiery encounter in Mestalla, Depor earned the point they needed from a 2-2 draw with Valencia to move into first place in the table in an encounter that saw both sides reduced to ten men.
Diego Tristán slotted home the Galicians’ opener after 23 minutes, as he lifted the ball over the home side’s stand-in stopper Juan LuÃÂs Mora.
In a game played at a pulsating pace, it was not surprising that cards would be produced, but it was a shock when Rubén Baraja was shown a direct red two minutes before the break as he went through the back of Manuel Pablo.
Despite the numerical inferiority, Valencia drew level after Jorge Andrade was adjudged to have handled in the area. David Villa’s first effort was saved by José Molina, but the referee ordered a retake for encroachment and the former Zaragoza striker made no mistake with his second effort.
Pedro Munitis was then sent off for collecting his second yellow card on 59 minutes as he intercepted a pass with his hand.
With the numbers now level, Valencia pressed forward and debutant defender Miguel endeared himself to the home fans with a superb goal to give Valencia the lead.
The Portuguese full-back was picked on the right-hand side of the area and the ex-Benfica player rifled the ball into the roof of the net from 14 yards.
But the game was by no means over and Depor showed that they have a new resolve under JoaquÃÂn Caparrós, as Sergio was on the end of a diagonal pass across the face of goal to prod home from close range and earn his side a share of the spoils.
Meanwhile, Juan Arango was the hero for Mallorca as he scored a second-half hat-trick to help his side to an impressive 5-2 victory over Real Sociedad in Son Moix.
Yordi scored his first goal for the Balearic club since joining from Getafe in the summer as he gave Héctor Cúper’s side a fourth-minute lead.
But substitute Alvaro Novo levelled after he received a pass from Darko Kovacevic, the Serbian striker doing well to create space, and rifled the ball goalwards, only to see it curl past Asier Riesgo after taking a wicked deflection off Alessandro Potenza.
The San Sebastian-based side were in the ascendancy and went ahead a minute before the break, when Xabi Prieto burst into the box before drawing the keeper and neatly slipping the ball around him and into the far corner of the net.
But the interval provided Mallorca with a chance to regroup and they came out fighting.
Arango scored his first of the night when he headed home a corner after 56 minutes, and repeated the trick soon after when he connected firmly with a cross from Yoshito Okubo to head past Riesgo from eight yards.
But the Venezuelan saved the best until last, as he picked the ball up with his back to goal on the right of the penalty area before turning quickly and lifting the ball into the net with a spectacular shot.
The triumph was wrapped up when Lampros Choutos showed great reactions to pounce on a loose ball and prod home in second-half injury time.
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