Tevez wasn’t the only Captain Fantastic as Craig Bellamy’s brilliant 85th-minute strike fired Cardiff to a 1-0 win over fiercest rivals Swansea in what was dubbed ‘the most important South Wales derby in history,’ due to both clubs’ high standing in the Championship.
Vladimir Weiss played his role in a feisty Old Firm clash but having replaced Rangers’ new recruit El Hadj Diouf in the 77th minute, the winger couldn’t swing the Scottish Cup fifth-round tie with Celtic, which finished 2-2.
Emmanuel Adebayor scored his second in as many games for Real Madrid as they thrashed Real Sociedad 4-1. Following up his midweek goal in the Copa del Rey, Adebayor made his full debut for the Spanish giants and netted in the final moments to help keep the pressure on leaders Barcelona.
While Roque Santa Cruz missed Blackburn’s 4-3 defeat at Wigan because of injury, Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge both played a full 90 minutes. Onuoha’s Sunderland hit a snag in their chase for a European spot as they were beaten 3-2 by Stoke, and Bridge’s West Ham remain rooted to the bottom of the table after their 1-0 defeat by relegation rivals Birmingham.
Javan Vidal played a full 90 minutes for Chesterfield and though they sit top of League Two, their 2-2 home draw against struggling Aldershot was their third game without a win.
Ben Mee and Leicester continued their push for a Championship play-off spot as they beat Kieran Trippier’s Barnsley. Both defenders started for their respective clubs, but it was Mee’s men who came out on top with a 4-1 win.
Abdi Ibrahim was missing through suspension as Scunthorpe’s hopes of Championship survival were dealt a blow with a 5-1 loss against Hull, and free-scoring Felipe Caicedo was also banned for Levante, who were still able to pip Villarreal 1-0.
Having joined Leeds as cover for former Blue Kasper Schmeichel, David Gonzalez had to watch from the stands as a 1-0 win over Coventry left his new team-mates three points off the automatic promotion places.
