Real Madrid Loses 0-1 To Real S. de Gijón In La Liga

With F.C. Barcelona streaking ahead of Spanish premier league La Liga with 78 points, it was crucial for second place team Real Madrid on 73 points to win its game against 13th ranked team Real S. de Gijón in La Liga on the weekend, however the underdogs pulled off a major upset when they defeated Madrid 1-0.

The loss meant that Real Madrid remained on 73 points, while Barcelona (who won their match 1-0 against Villarreal C.F. on Saturday) extended their lead to 81 points, making it that much harder for the club from Madrid to catch Barcelona, who are looking increasingly like a shoe-in to win the 2010/11 La Liga title.

But going back to Saturday's match between Real Madrid and Real S. de Gijón, what made the defeat even more embarrassing for Madrid is the fact it took place in front of the club's home crowd at Santiago Bernabéu. It was also the club's first home loss this season, as well as the first home loss in nine years for the team's Portuguese manager, Jose Mourinho.

The last time a team coached by Mourinho was beaten at home was in February 23, 2002, when his club, Portuguese team F.C. Porto, lost to Beira Mar. And between then and last weekend, Mourinho had notched up a combined 150 consecutive league home game victories for Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale and Madrid.

From the start of the game, Real S. de Gijón refused to be dominated by the stronger home team, and managed to keep the score tied at 0-0 going into half time. While most fans expected Real Madrid to come out firing in the second half, it was the visitors who were the threat, eventually scoring the only goal of the match in the 78th minute courtesy of Miguel Angel de las Cuevas.

The well-placed midfielder burst into Madrid's area and fired off a shot that proved to quick for goalkeeper Iker Casillas, which bounced off the post into the back of the net. Real Madrid fans could not believe they were a goal down to a team as far down the La Liga standings as Real S. de Gijón, and began praying for an equaliser at least.

But it never came, and at the final whistle Real S. de Gijón walked off the pitch happy in the knowledge that not only did they beat the number two team in La Liga, a superb achievement in itself, but they ended the club's unbeaten home record, and made it that much more unlikely that Real Madrid will catch and overtake Barcelona this season.

Here are the complete La Liga results from the weekend: