Woodwork frustrates Sevilla as Depor steal point

Sevilla missed the chance to join Atletico Madrid and Valencia on six points at the top of La Liga after squandering a string of chances in a 0-0 home draw with Deportivo La Coruna.

Spanish international Alvaro Negredo and French full back Abdoulay Konko were the main culprits for Sevilla who hit the woodwork twice.

Negredo hit the crossbar in the first half before Uruguayan defender Martin Caceres, on loan from Barcelona, almost scored on his league debut two minutes after the break but fired over.

Alberto Lopo should have then put Depor in front but the defender inexplicably headed over with the goal at his mercy.

French defender Konko, with two goals to his name already this season, hit the woodwork for Sevilla once again in the middle of the second half as La Coruna rode their luck.

Depor will be glad to come away with a point although they have still not won away in the league since November 2009 when they beat Racing Santander 1-0.

The draw moves Sevilla into third on four points with Atletico and Valencia the only two sides with a maximum six points from the opening two games.

The league summit has an unfamiliar look about it with neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid in the top two.

Barcelona are seventh after falling 2-0 at home to promoted Hercules on Saturday while Real are a point better off in fourth after defeating Osasuna 1-0 on Saturday in Jose Mourinho’s first win at the helm.

Italian international striker Giuseppe Rossi showed his commitment to Villarreal with a double as his his side notched their first win of the season with a 4-0 victory over Espanyol on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Rossi recently denied that he wanted a return to his native Italy and responded to the reports with a goal in each half for his first goals of the season as Villarreal moved up to fifth.

Former Manchester United man Rossi opened the scoring in the 23rd minute before midfielder Borja Valero, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, netted his first goal for the club shortly afterwards.

Rossi grabbed his second on 55 minutes firing a spot-kick past Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and Brazilian international Nilmar struck on 77 minutes to clinch a comfortable win.

“Both teams had their chances and our goalkeeper Diego Lopez had a great game,” said Villarreal coach Javier Garrido. “We took our chances and fully deserved to win.”

Elsewhere former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Michael Laudrup continues to wait for his first league win as Real Mallorca coach after his side crashed to a 2-0 defeat at Sporting Gijon.

Dane Laudrup, now 46, started with a creditable 0-0 draw against old club Real on his debut but has yet to see his team score, let alone win.

Defender Alberto Botia opened the scoring on 47 minutes before Diego Castro struck a penalty four minutes from time with Portuguese defender Jose Nunes sent off for giving it away.

Laudrup’s old club Getafe, a creditable sixth last season, recorded their first win of the new season with a 4-1 home victory over promoted Levante.

Getafe scored twice in stoppage time to give the scoreline a flattering look and newcomers Levante have no points from their first two matches.

In other matches, Real Zaragoza were beaten 5-3 at home by Malaga who were 5-0 up after 34 minutes with Fernando (1, 27) and Juanmi Lopez (7, 29) both scoring a brace.

Zaragoza rallied in the second half with two goals to reduce the degree of embarrassment in the club’s first home game of the season.