Casemiro helps Real open five-point lead at the top
Real Madrid went five points clear on the top of La Liga after coming through a testing game at Athletic Bilbao to win 2-1 thanks to midfield lynchpin Casemiro’s strike on Saturday.
Karim Benzema fired Real ahead in the 25th minute with an exquisite first-time finish from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross after Casemiro had begun the move with a clever long ball from the halfway line.
Athletic worked hard to get back into the game and, after Real keeper Keylor Navas produced a brilliant save to deny Inaki Williams, veteran striker Aritz Aduriz headed the home side level from close range in the 65th minute.
Casemiro restored Real’s lead in the 68th, however, by controlling a Ronaldo’s flicked header from a corner and calmly taking his time to tuck the ball into the net from close range thanks to some careless defending.
Real lead on 65 points from second-placed Barcelona, who have also played 27 games and host Valencia on Sunday.
LAS PALMAS BEATS 10-MAN VILLARREAL 1-0
Kevinprince Boateng scored and forced the sending off of a Villarreal player to help Las Palmas win 1-0 at home in the Spanish league on Friday.
Boateng’s header from a wellplaced cross by Dani Castellano in the 10th minute was his eighth goal since joining Las Palmas this season. The win was Las Palmas’ first in five rounds as it moved into 11th place.