Real defeat Depor to end 19-year hoodoo
Reuters - Saturday 30 January 2010, 23:06
MADRID - Real Madrid trimmed the gap with
leaders Barcelona back to five points after a Karim Benzema
double fired them to a 3-1 win at Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga.
Barca had laid down a marker with a 1-0 victory at Sporting
Gijon earlier on Saturday but Manuel Pellegrini's Real shrugged
off the absence of the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo and injured
top scorer Gonzalo Higuain to keep pace with the champions.
Real had not won at Deportivo's Riazor stadium in 19 years
but Benzema went close early on for the dominant visitors before
a defensive howler gifted them the lead in the 13th minute.
Defender Laure Sanabria attempted to head the ball clear but
could only divert it to the unmarked Esteban Granero who sent a
powerful header past goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia.
A piece of brilliance from mercurial midfielder Guti created
Real's second for Benzema five minutes before the break.
Kaka raced clear on the left and put Guti through on goal
but instead of shooting he backheeled the ball to the France
striker, who swept home with Aranzubia stranded.
Riki netted an 87th-minute penalty for Depor after Sergio
Ramos had brought the striker down in the penalty area before
Alvaro Arbeloa set Benzema up for his second in added time.
QUICK FREE-KICK
Pedro's clinical finish had earlier fired Barca to victory
at a rain-lashed Molinon stadium in Gijon.
Barca took control from the start, with Xavi and Andres
Iniesta providing the creative spark in midfield and Lionel
Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pedro, starting on the left
instead of Thierry Henry, threatening up front.
Gijon battled bravely to keep the visitors at bay but were
caught out on the half-hour when Messi tapped a quick freekick
to Iniesta.
With the home defence on their heels, the Spain midfielder
released Pedro who sprinted through the centre to finish coolly
past goalkeeper Juan Pablo with a low, left-foot strike.
Barca had scored 12 goals without reply in their previous
three league games and carved out a host of chances in the
second half.
Pedro blasted over in the 73rd minute after good work from
Messi and then somehow allowed the ball to be hooked off his
toes with the goal at his mercy a minute later.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said he was pleased at the way
his side had controlled the match but was unhappy that so many
chances to make the game safe had gone begging.
"There's still an eternity until the end of the season," he
told a news conference. "Every match is a battle because all our
opponents are fighting for something."
In Saturday's earlier match, striker Luis Garcia smashed in
a loose ball in the 58th minute to give Espanyol a 1-0 home win
over Athletic Bilbao and lift the Barcelona-based club further
away from the relegation places.