Football / European Round-Up: Red cards proliferate as Barcelona seize point

BARCELONA lost another player to a red card, but gained a valuable 1-1 draw at Santander to maintain their challenge for the Spanish title, writes Rupert Metcalf. The faltering leaders, Deportivo La Coruna, were held 0-0 at home by Valladolid, so Barcelona stay two points adrift in second place.

Lacking Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman, sent off last week, Barcelona fell behind to an early header from the Russian striker, Dimitri Radchenko. Santander's goalkeeper, Jose Ceballos, earned the game's first red card before the visitors' Albert Ferrer was sent off for fouling Radchenko just before half- time. Guillermo Amor equalised eight minutes from time.

Third-placed Real Madrid won

4-3 at Logrones but Atletico Madrid are in danger of relegation after a 4-0 home humbling by Zaragoza. An unhappy week for John Toshack ended with a 1-0 loss at lowly Lerida for his Real Sociedad side.

In Italy, Daniele Massaro kept Milan on course for their third straight title with an 89th-minute winner over Internazionale. Salvatore Schillaci seemed to have gained Inter a point five minutes from time after Milan went ahead through a Giuseppe Bergomi own goal.

Juventus are joint second with Sampdoria, held 0-0 at Cagliari, after a 4-0 home win over Parma in which the 19-year-old Alessandro Del Piero, deputising for the injured Roberto Baggio, scored a hat-trick. Lazio beat Napoli 3-0 to move above Parma into fourth, but had Alen Boksic sent off after a clash with Napoli's Roberto Bordin, who was also dismissed.