SPANISH PRIMERA LIGA: Atletico Madrid threw the Spanish title race wide open last night when a Fernando Torres double consigned Barcelona to a 2-0 defeat, their first home loss of the season.
The 20-year-old striker got Atletico off to a flying start at the Nou Camp when he guided home in the first minute after a stunning back-heeled assist from playmaker Ariel Ibagaza.
Ronaldinho fluffed a 70th-minute penalty for Barcelona before Torres completed a shock victory when he blasted home a spot kick deep into injury time, awarded after the striker was brought down by Victor Valdes.
Atletico's victory meant that Real Madrid, who beat Espanyol 4-0 on Saturday, are four points behind Barcelona in the standings with the two sides yet to meet at the Bernabeu.
The race for the title has effectively become a two-horse affair with Real nine points clear of champions Valencia, who were held to a 3-3 draw by struggling Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Earlier yesterday Seville moved into fourth after a 3-0 win over Levante with striker Julio Baptista's superbly struck 25-metre free kick five minutes from time the goal of the match.
Villarreal climbed to fifth, a point further behind, with their fifth win in a row after they came from a goal down to beat 10-man Racing Santander 2-1 at home.
Striker Diego Forlan scored his 14th of the season when he slid in at the far post early in the second half and playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme snatched the winner from the penalty spot.
ITALIAN SERIE A: Defending champions AC Milan closed the gap to league leaders Juventus to just two points after they beat Lazio 2-1 at home last night.
Massimo Oddo put the visitors ahead on 56 minutes from the penalty spot after Jaap Stam had fouled Tomasso Rocchi but the prolific Andriy Shevchenko levelled matters 18 minutes from time with a 30-yard free kick before Hernan Crespo earned Milan the win with a last-gasp strike in the fourth minute of added time. Juventus lost 1-0 to Palermo on Saturday.
Meanwhile, 10-man Inter Milan preserved their unbeaten Serie A record in dramatic fashion yesterday, fighting back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Parma.
Inter's cause looked lost after Fabio Simplicio scored from the penalty spot for Parma - after Marco Matterazzi was red-carded for deflecting a goal-bound shot off the line with his hand - and Alberto Gilardino beat Inter goalkeeper Hector Carini on the hour.
Inter fought back though and in the 76th minute defender Ivan Cordoba nodded a Sinisa Mihajlovic free kick past Sebastien Frey. Cordoba was at the centre of the action again five minutes later when he was pushed to the ground by Parma defender Daniele Bonera.
Referee Pierluigi Collina pointed to the penalty spot and Christian Vieri's conversion consolidated their reputation as Serie A's comeback kings.
Inter's point was small consolation as they lost third place to Udinese, who beat relegation candidates Brescia 1-0.
