11/16/2008 - Andalusia, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lionel Messi and Seydou Keita scored in the second half as Barcelona topped Recreativo 2-0 on Sunday in Spain's La Liga to open a three-point gap atop the standings and extend its unbeaten streak to 16.
Barcelona has won nine straight La Liga matches and is 14-0-2 in its last 16 in all competitions. Overall, Barca is 16-1-2 this season in all events.
Surprisingly, Barca's only loss was in its league opener against promoted club Numancia. After a tie against Racing, the Camp Nou club has been unstoppable in La Liga.
Messi opened the scoring in the 51st minute against Recreativio and Keita put the match away with an easy tap-in in the 85th at Estadio Nuevo Colombino.
Recreativo had one of the best chances in the first half when Cesar Arzo headed a Adrian Colunga cross on goal, but Barca goalie Victor Valdes made the save.
Barcelona caught Recreativo napping early in the second half to take the lead. Xavi played a short free kick to the left side to Messi, who was left unmarked. The Argentine striker settled the pass with one touch, then fired into the top left corner from close range.
Recreativo had a few chances to get back in the match, its best in the 63rd on a header from Cisse that hit the left post.
Barca put the pressure on Recreativo over the final 25 minutes, starting with a open chance for Samuel Eto'o that he sent right at goalie Asier Riesgo.
Eto'o hit the crossbar in the 71st minute, then fired wide on another open shot minutes later. He finally helped Barca grab the lead in the 85th with an assist on Keita's goal.
Thierry Henry crossed the ball from the left to Eto'o on the right side of the area. Eto'o drove the ball toward the far post, and Keita was there to tap it in for an easy finish.
Barca's Rafael Marquez nearly added a third goal in stoppage time but hit the crossbar.
Recreativo remained near the bottom of the league. It is ahead of only winless Osasuna in the standings.
Villarreal remained unbeaten, but settled for its fourth draw through 11 weeks when Malaga's Helder Rosario scored in the 90th minute for a 2-2 draw.
American-born Italian striker Giuseppe Rossi and Joseba Llorente scored for the Yellow Submarines, who slipped three points behind Barca.
Duda had Malaga's first goal, sending a perfect free kick into the upper right corner in the first half. Rosario got the tying goal off a corner kick when he headed the ball on the near side and directed it inside the far post.
Sevilla topped Getafe 2-0 to pull level in points with third-place Valencia and fourth-place Real Madrid. Luis Fabiano and Tom De Mul scored for Sevilla.
Sixth-place Atletico Madrid got a pair of goals from Diego Forlan in a 4-1 win over Deportivo.
In the rest of Sunday's games, Negredo had both goals in Almeria's 2-1 win over Mallorca, Sergio Garcia scored twice in Real Betis' 3-1 win over Racing, Jose Barkero and Carlos Llorens scored in final five minutes to help Numancia rally for a 4-3 win over Espanyol and Fernando Llorente scored his sixth goal to help Athletic Bilbao beat Osasuna 2-0.
<< Birds, Bengals play to league's first tie since 2002
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Cutler completed
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Peyton Manning comp
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Nick Calathes added 13
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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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