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| September 5, 2003 | Friday | Rajab 7, 1424 |
Deportivo only side with 100pc record
MADRID, Sept 4: Deportivo Coruna beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Wednesday to make it two wins out of two and move top of the table with the only 100 percent record in the Spanish first division.
Deportivo, league champions in 2000, took the lead early on with a chip from Juan Carlos Valeron and Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani clinched victory with his second goal of the season 12 minutes into the second half.
Victory took Depor top with six points, ahead of a group of six teams on four points from two games.
Among that group are last season’s champions Real Madrid, who drew 1-1 away to Villarreal on Tuesday, and Barcelona, who were held to a similar scoreline by Sevilla in a match that kicked off at five past midnight on Wednesday morning.
In other games played at more conventional times on Wednesday evening, Espanyol came from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw away to Real Betis and King’s Cup holders Real Mallorca beat promoted Real Zaragoza 2-0.
Deportivo Coruna sold Roy Makaay to Bayern Munich over the close-season but so far they have hardly missed the Dutch striker, who top scored in the Spanish league last term with 29 goals.
Valeron opened the scoring with a virtuoso finish after 12 minutes, the Spanish international playmaker darting into the penalty area and lifting a shot over the keeper.
Midfielders Tiko struck a post for Bilbao and Carlos Gurpegui missed another good chance before Deportivo clinched victory with their second early in the second half.
Pandiani, who had come off the bench to score the only goal in a 1-0 victory away to Real Zaragoza at the weekend, repeated the trick a couple of minutes after replacing Diego Tristan.
SPANISH FIRST DIVISION RESULTS
Atletico Madrid 1 Albacete 0
Barcelona 1 Sevilla 1
Deportivo Coruna 2 Athletic Bilbao 0
Murcia 1 Racing Santander 1
Real Betis 2 Espanyol 2
Real Mallorca 2 Real Zaragoza 0
Valladolid 1 Malaga 0
—Reuters
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