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Real hold Barca with Ronaldo goal

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-04-02 11:07

Ronaldinho sent Casillas the wrong way when he fired low into the corner with his spot kick.

Roberto Carlos picked up a booking as he complained about the decision and moments later lost his head and was given a straight red card after exchanging words with the referee when he was penalised for a foul on Henrik Larsson.

Real coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro responded by sacrificing Robinho to bring on Alvaro Mejia to strengthen his defence but it was Casillas who kept Real in the match when he produced another superb reflex save to deny Eto'o.

Minutes later Baptista and Ronaldo manufactured an equaliser out of the blue.

Baptista dinked a perfectly weighted pass over the halfway line into Ronaldo's path and the striker powered past the Barca defence before sending a classy chip over keeper Victor Valdes and into the net to score against his old side.

Barca lost their rhythm after the equaliser but had a golden opportunity to seal the game when Larsson was put in the clear midway through the half with only Casillas to beat.

The Real keeper stood his ground well, though, and diverted the Swede's shot away for a corner.

At the other end Ronaldo was booked for diving in the area and David Beckham was lucky not to get a yellow card as well after firing the ball in frustration at Luis Medina Cantalejo, a referee who has sent the England captain off twice before.

Barca laid siege to Real's area for most of the second half and Larsson missed another good chance when he headed wide in stoppage time but the Champions League quarter-finalists, who face Benfica next week, could not find a way past Casillas.