Real thump Sociedad to restore six-point lead
Reuters - Saturday 24 March 2012, 22:59
La Liga leaders Real Madrid
ended a run of two straight draws and restored their six-point
advantage over arch rivals Barcelona when they crushed Real
Sociedad 5-1 on Saturday.
Jose Mourinho's side let their football do the talking after
a controversial week when the Portuguese coach was sent off
during Wednesday's 1-1 stalemate at Villarreal for criticising
the referee.
Mourinho was banned from the bench for the game at the
Bernabeu but two goals each from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim
Benzema and one from Gonzalo Higuain lifted Real to 75 points
with nine matches remaining.
Barca have 69 points in second after Lionel Messi's free
kick set them on their way to a 2-0 victory at Real Mallorca,
the Argentine World Player of the Year's 18th goal in his last
nine games for his club.
Pep Guardiola's side, who visit AC Milan in a Champions
League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, had to play most of
the second half with 10 men when midfielder Thiago Alcantara was
harshly shown a second yellow card for a handball on 57 minutes.
Third-placed Valencia slipped further behind the leaders and
pressure increased on their coach Unai Emery after they lost 3-1
at Getafe in the late kick-off to stay on 47 points, three ahead
of city rivals Levante.
Real went for all-out attack against 14th-placed Sociedad,
with strike partners Benzema and Higuain getting a rare start
together and supported by Ronaldo and Kaka.
Benzema set up Higuain for the opening goal in the sixth
minute, Ronaldo added a second just after the half-hour and
Benzema made it 3-0 five minutes before half-time.
Sociedad pulled a goal back a minute later when Xabi
Prieto's long-range effort flew into the top corner after taking
a deflection off the head of Sergio Ramos before Benzema and
Ronaldo made it 5-1 with goals early in the second period.
CRUISE CONTROL
"The match the other day [at Villarreal] was a strange one
and finished in a very tense atmosphere," Real director Emilio
Butragueno said in a television interview.
"Today I think we turned in a very complete performance,
especially in the first half, and that was good news.
"We still have a six-point lead and if the team performs to
its potential I have to say I am pretty optimistic."
No Real player gave the customary interview to Spanish
television after the match and the club decided that Mourinho's
assistant Aitor Karanka would not hold a post-match news
conference.
At the Iberostar Estadio in Mallorca, Messi fired Barca
ahead in the 25th minute when the home defence failed to deal
with his inswinging free-kick from the right and it flew past
goalkeeper Dudu Aouate into the corner of the net.
It was his 35th league goal of the campaign and Ronaldo's
brace later in the day means the pair are tied at the top of the
scoring chart and closing in on Ronaldo's Spanish record of 40
in a season set last term.
Barca were on cruise control until Thiago's sending off and
the champions endured a nervy 20 minutes before a Messi shot
cannoned back off Aouate's left-hand post and centre-back Gerard
Pique was on hand to slot the rebound into the empty net.
Guardiola said the victory would lift his players for their
trip to the San Siro.
"It was a closely-fought match, although in the second half
we created a lot," he said.
"I am satisfied. In the end, willingness, effort and not
making excuses helped us get through the match."