Second-string Real rip Valencia to shreds
Reuters - Saturday 23 April 2011, 22:10
MADRID - A weakened Real Madrid team
routed Valencia 6-3 away on Saturday while an uninspiring 2-0
win for Barcelona at home to lowly Osasuna maintained their
eight-point lead at the top of La Liga.
Three days after Real's 1-0 extra-time victory over Barca in
the King's Cup Final, also at the Mestalla stadium, the Madrid
side rested a number of first-team regulars but still proved too
strong for their third-placed hosts Valencia.
Higuain rattled in three goals and Kaka grabbed a double
after Karim Benzema had opened the scoring as Valencia were torn
apart by the pace of Real's counter-attacks.
Home striker Roberto Soldado made it 5-1 after an hour and,
as Real eased up, Valencia's Jonas and Jordi Alba grabbed late
goals to make the scoreline slightly more respectable.
Barca also fielded a changed side but laboured past
relegation-threatened Osasuna with a first-half goal from David
Villa and a late strike from substitute Lionel Messi.
Pep Guardiola's side moved a step closer to their third
consecutive La Liga title and have 88 points with five games
left, while Real climb to 80 and Valencia stay on 63.
Athletic Bilbao climbed to 51 points in fifth with a 2-1
derby win at home to Basque rivals Real Sociedad that came
courtesy of first-half goals from Iker Muniain and Gaizka
Toquero.
"The victory was very important," Barca's Villa told Spanish
television after ending an 11-match goal drought.
"It was very difficult, especially the mental and physical
tiredness from the other day, but it's three points more, one
game less and the eight-point lead is maintained."
Mourinho had one eye on next Wednesday's Champions League
semi-final first leg against Barcelona when he left Cristiano
Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and Pepe on the bench but it hardly made
any difference in Valencia.
IRATE FANS
"We'll keep on fighting in the league until it is
mathematically impossible to win it," Mourinho told reporters,
describing his team's performance as "spectacular".
He added: "Let Barca win La Liga because of the points they
have won rather than because we gifted it to them.
"If we can end the campaign believing we are capable of
winning in any stadium, against any team with any group of
players we'll have a huge amount of confidence for next season."
Benzema, who had already hit the crossbar, slotted the ball
inside the near post after goalkeeper Vicente Guaita misjudged a
low cross in the 23rd minute.
Argentine Higuain pounced on a defensive misunderstanding to
sneak their second goal, and then set up Kaka for the third
after yet another counter-attack in the 38th.
Valencia's fans were irate when an almost identical
breakaway led to Kaka turning provider for Higuain just before
half-time.
Kaka pulled the ball back for Higuain to complete his
hat-trick in the 53rd while Soldado's nicely-taken goal, his
eighth in four matches, was only a brief respite for the home
side.
Almost immediately, Kaka made it 6-1, nutmegging Marius
Stankevicius in the area before curling the ball beyond Guaita.
Barca fielded a changed team - with Messi, Xavi and Andres
Iniesta among those on the bench while Gerard Pique and Carlos
Puyol were in the stands - and lacked their usual fluidity.
Jeffren broke down the left and crossed for Villa to put
Barca ahead in the 24th minute.
Osasuna were denied an equaliser just before the break when
Victor Valdes scrambled a shot on to the post and Barca then
dominated without threatening until Messi slipped home the
decider at the end for his 31st of the league campaign.