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Beckham injured as Madrid held
05/03/2007 10:23 - (SA)
Madrid - David Beckham picked up a knee injury after enjoying one of his better games in a Real Madrid shirt on Sunday in a 1-1 draw with Getafe.
The former England skipper, who was sent off in his last league outing, saw a 37th-minute shot come back off the crossbar and then helped win the penalty which gave Real a 45th-minute equaliser.
It was his through ball which released Robinho into the area. The Brazilian was chopped down and Ruud van Nistelrooy converted the spotkick for his 12th goal of the season.
Beckham's impressive display, however, ended on a low note when coach Fabio Capello revealed that the midfielder had suffered a right knee injury which will keep him out of Wednesday's Champions League trip to Bayern Munich, where the Spaniards will defend a 3-2 lead in their last 16 tie.
Juan Antonio Reyes will also miss the second leg clash.
"It's certain that they will not play against Bayern," said Capello. "Reyes's injury is serious; Beckham's could be just as significant."
Getafe, whose coach Bernd Schuster has been widely tipped to take over from Capello at the Bernabau next season, had taken the lead in the 38th minute when David Guiza found the net.
Sunday's result left Real Madrid in fourth place, six points behind Sevilla who deposed Barcelona as league leaders on Saturday with a 2-1 win over the defending champions.
Barcelona surrendered a one-goal lead, missed a penalty and finished the game with nine men.
The result also meant the European champions head to Liverpool for their Champions League last 16 second leg clash on Tuesday, where they trail 2-1, in the worst possible mood.
Ronaldinho also suffered the indignity of missing his first penalty kick of the season as Sevilla took over as Spanish league leaders.
Barcelona had taken the lead after 14 minutes when Gianluca Zambrotta, who looked suspiciously offside, sprinted down the right-hand side and crossed for an unmarked Ronaldinho to head in his 17th goal of the season.
The Brazilian superstar had the chance to make it 2-0 on the half-hour mark when he was brought down in the area by Aitor Ocio.
The Sevilla defender was sent-off but goalkeeper Andres Palop saved the spotkick.
Sevilla, whose coach Juande Ramos was knocked out by a bottle thrown from the Real Betis crowd in a midweek Spanish Cup tie, shrugged off the loss of Ocio when Russian international Alexander Kerzhakov, a winter recruit, levelled with a sweet turn and shot six minutes before the break.
Impressive Brazilian Dani Alves then hit what proved to be the winner in the 61st minute before Barca's night fell apart.
French midfielder Ludovic Giuly was red-carded for a 62nd-minute foul on Alves before Zambrotta was also ordered off in the 76th minute for a second yellow card.
Even the introduction of Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o from the bench in the 69th minute couldn't save Barcelona as Sevilla went top.
"We had the opportunity and we didn't take advantage of it", said Barca coach Frank Rijkaard after his team's fourth defeat of the season.
"We started well and controlled the game well. However, when they were reduced to 10 men, they moved up a gear. It was a chance lost."
In Saturday's other match, Valencia edged Celta Vigo 1-0 to go third, four points behind Sevilla.
Fernando Morientes scored the only goal with an acrobatic drive in the 67th minute.
Valencia were also in debt to goalkeeper Santiago Canizares who marked his 400th Spanish league match with a string of fine saves.
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Rugby
