Real Madrid title challenge all but over after draw
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E-mail Xinhua, May 8, 2014
Real Madrid's options of winning this season's BBVA Primera Liga all but disappeared on Wednesday night as Carlo Ancelotti's side could only draw 1-1 away to struggling Valladolid.
Real Madrid kicked off five points behind league leaders, Atletico Madrid and two behind FC Barcelona, but with a game in hand and a win would have taken them into second place obliging Atletico Madrid to take four points from their last two matches to win the title.
Things got off to a bad start for Madrid when Cristiano Ronaldo limped off with a repeat of his recent hamstring injury after eight minutes but Sergio Ramos opened the scoring with a direct free kicks after 35 minutes.
That looked to have given Real Madrid all three points, but Anceloti's side seemed tired in the second half and failed to score a second goal which would have been decisive.
They paid for their failure to do that when Valladolid substitute Humberto Osorio equalized after a corner with five minutes remaining.
Real Madrid looked for a winning goal and laid siege to the Valladolid penalty area in the closing minutes, but were unable to find a goal which would give them three vital points.
The result leaves Real Madrid third in the table and means that if either Atletico Madrid or Barca win their remaining two matches they will be champions. With Atletico Madrid due to visit Barca's Camp Nou Stadium on the last day of the season that sets up what could be a dramatic grandstand finish in which the winner takes all.
Meanwhile the point lifts Valladolid out of the relegation zone and sees Getafe drop into the bottom three.
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