Real Madrid maul Sevilla to reclaim top spot
Reuters - Saturday 17 December 2011, 23:51
Cristiano Ronaldo netted
his fifth La Liga hat-trick of the campaign as Real Madrid
brushed off Pepe's 44th-minute dismissal to secure a crushing
6-2 victory at Sevilla and move back above Barcelona to the top
of the standings on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho's side surrendered first place last weekend
when they lost 3-1 at home to Barca in the opening Clasico of
the campaign but they go into the Christmas break with a
three-point advantage over their great rivals after 16 matches.
Spanish and European champions Barca, chasing a fourth
straight La Liga title, have been in action at the Club World
Cup in Japan this week and meet Brazilian side Santos in the
final on Sunday.
La Liga top scorer Ronaldo, whistled by his own fans and
criticised by Spanish media after a poor performance in the Clasico, took his league tally this season to 20 goals, three
more than Barca's World Player of the Year Lionel Messi.
Real were cruising with a 3-0 lead at Sevilla's Sanchez
Pizjuan stadium after the Portuguese forward struck either side
of a Jose Callejon effort before centre back Pepe got a second
yellow card when he caught Alvaro Negredo with a flailing arm.
Real captain Iker Casillas had earlier produced two
brilliant saves to deny Manu Del Moral and Piotr Trochowski and
Del Moral had squandered Sevilla's best effort when he somehow
skewed wide in front of an open goal with Real leading 1-0.
Real were forced to defend for long periods at the start of
the second half but Sevilla were caught out in the 66th minute
when Angel di Maria sped clear and stroked the ball past Javi Varas
for the visitors' fourth.
Jesus Navas pulled one back for the hosts in the 69th, Del
Moral was shown a straight red five minutes later for hacking
down Alvaro Arbeloa and Ronaldo completed his treble with a
penalty four minutes from time after a foul on Karim Benzema.
Substitute Hamit Altintop tapped in Real's sixth three
minutes later before Sevilla striker Negredo rounded Casillas to
make it 6-2 in the second minute of added-time.
MOUTHS SHUT
A combative Ronaldo, who was accused after the Clasico of
failing to perform in the big games, said in an interview with
Spanish television that his three goals in Seville served to
"shut the mouths" of those who had criticised him.
"I don't care what people say I just do my job," added the
26-year-old, who became the world's most expensive player when
he joined Real from Manchester United at the end of the 2008/09
season.
"I have shown that I am focused on the team. Those who
criticise me don't understand football.
"We played well and are the leaders at Christmas which means
our goal has been achieved."
Mourinho praised Di Maria's performance after the Argentina
winger flew home in midweek following a death in the family and
the Portuguese said he expected a positive reaction from his
side after Barca ended Real's 10-match La Liga winning streak.
"Sevilla is always a tough team to play against, a team with
ambition," the former Inter Milan and Chelsea manager told a
news conference.
"We had a goalkeeper who made two very good
saves at critical moments and that has nothing to do with luck."
FURIOUS BILBAO
Athletic Bilbao were furious with the referee after he sent
off midfielder Javi Martinez midway through the first half of
their match at home to bottom side Real Zaragoza.
However, after Zaragoza defender Maurizio Lanzaro was shown
a second yellow card and dismissed in the 70th minute, Bilbao
forward Gaizka Toquero bundled in an 87th-minute winner for a
2-1 victory that lifted Marcelo Bielsa's side to eighth.
Espanyol climbed to seventh thanks to a 2-1 win at
struggling Sporting Gijon and Real Mallorca squandered the lead
to lose 2-1 at home to Getafe in a mid-table clash.