Van Nistelrooy rescues Real Madrid's title hopes

Soccer Betting Lines

06/09/2007 - Zaragoza, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ruud van Nistelrooy scored in the 89th minute to give Real Madrid a 2-2 draw against Real Zaragoza at Estadio La Romareda on Saturday.

The result would have been a disaster for Madrid but Raul Tamudo equalized for Espanyol in the 90th minute to hold Barcelona to a 2-2 draw at Estadio Camp Nou. The third team in the title race, Sevilla, also was held to a draw as they finished 0-0 with Mallorca.

Madrid will enter the season's final day needing just a win against Mallorca to clinch its first La Liga title since the 2002-03 season.

With Madrid's title hopes on the ropes, Van Nistelrooy was able to get inside the six-yard box and push home the equalizer after a scramble in front.

Alberto Diego Milito put the home side ahead in the first half as he converted from the spot, but Van Nistelrooy answered with his first goal 12 minutes after the restart. Milito put home his second goal in the 64th minute to put Madrid in a tough spot, but Van Nistelrooy rescued a point with his 25th goal of the season.

The game was very open at the start with both teams able to create chances. The first opportunity fell to Zaragoza in the seventh minute as Henrique Ewerthon was given space 25 yards from goal. He got a good look at the net and fired his shot just wide of the upper right corner.

In the 11th minute Robinho tried his luck from long range for Madrid, driving a hard shot towards the lower right corner that Zaragoza keeper Sanchez Cesar got down to stop.

Two minutes later the young Brazilian was handed another chance as David Beckham's cross from the right wing ended up on his foot, but his volley went wide at the near post.

The opener came in the 31st when Pablo Aimar made a slashing run into the box and was brought down by Madrid's Ivan Helguera. Milito then stepped up to the spot and sent keeper Iker Casillas the wrong way, placing his shot inside the left post.

The visitors should have equalized right before halftime but a nice save by Cesar kept Zaragoza in front. Robinho took a pass 30 yards from goal and played it wide to Sergio Ramos, who floated a perfect cross onto the head of Van Nistelrooy near the six-yard box. The Dutchman put his header on goal, but Cesar made a nice reaction stop by pushing the ball over the net.

Madrid fought back 12 minutes after the restart to even the match. Ramos once again was looking for Van Nistelrooy inside the box and he chipped a ball towards the striker. However, the ball took a deflection but still fell for Van Nistelrooy, who headed the ball past the keeper from eight-yards out.

The celebration was short lived for Madrid, however, as Milito tallied his second goal seven minutes later. Aimar took possession of the ball at midfield and embarked on a weaving run through the defense before dropping a pass off for Milito, who faked a shot and then slid the ball past a sprawling Casillas to put Zaragoza in front.

Minutes later, Madrid threatened when Jose Antonio Reyes stole the ball inside the Zaragoza end and slid a pass for Gonzalo Higuain at the edge of the box. Higuain was in behind the defense but Cesar came off his line just in time to clear the ball away.

In desperation, Madrid put together a strong attack over the final 20 minutes in an effort to equalize.

A glancing header from Ramos was stopped before Mahamadou Diarra sent a header of his own wide from close range.

With just minutes left to play, a Beckham free kick nearly put Madrid on level terms as he drove the ball into the box and Higuain got a head to it, sending the ball just inches wide.

However, much like they have done over the past two months, Madrid was able to rescue to points right before the final whistle as Van Nistelrooy knocked home a loose ball from inside the six-yard box.

In other action in Spain on Saturday, Celta Vigo moved to within one point of safety with a 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid, Levante doubled up on Valencia 4-2, Osasuna got two goals from Ion Sola in a 5-0 thrashing of Real Betis, Real Sociedad could only muster a 0-0 draw with Racing and now is three points from safety with just game to play and Athletic Bilbao is now just one point from the drop zone after a 3-1 loss to Villarreal.

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Football Betting

NFL Football Betting Online

The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.

Thursday, August 21

NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37

NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road

In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.

Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):

* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games

Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.

Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.

Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.

That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.

Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.

CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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