Bale leads Real to win over Leganes ahead of Bayern clash
MADRID: Gareth Bale scored as a much-changed Real Madrid warmed up for Tuesday's Champions League semi-final second leg at Bayern Munich with a 2-1 win over Leganes.
Bale bundled Real into an early lead, before Borja Mayoral took advantage of more sloppy defending to make it two before half-time on Saturday.
Serbian Darko Brasanac gave Leganes hope of a comeback, but Real closed out the victory despite struggling in the second half.
"I'm very happy with the attitude of my players today, with 10 changes to the starting eleven, with players who haven't played much," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane.
"We can't be happy with what we've done in the league in general. We lost a lot of points at the beginning, then we were a bit better but that can happen in a season.
"Now we have to get back to work, we have another match on Tuesday which will be our game of the year. We have a title to defend." Real stay third in the table, one point behind city rivals Atletico who play Alaves later on Sunday, when Barcelona can secure the La Liga title if they avoid defeat at Deportivo La Coruna.
Zidane made sweeping changes to the team which beat Bayern 2-1 in Wednesday's first leg at the Allianz Arena, with Bale and Karim Benzema returning.
Bale boosted his hopes of a start in the second leg by hooking in a deflected Benzema effort to give Real an eighthminute lead with his first goal since a double against Las Palmas on March 31.
Leganes had stunned Real with a 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu in January to reach the Copa del Rey semifinals, but struggled to make any inroads against their dominant hosts.
Daniel Ceballos fired narrowly over, but the soon-to- be deposed league champions doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time.
Mayoral tapped in from close range after Leganes goalkeeper Pichu Cuellar totally missed a left-wing cross, with offside appeals waved away as defender Unai Bustinza had got a touch to the ball on its way through.
It was the 21-year-old Mayoral's second La Liga goal, having also netted against Real Sociedad in September.
Leganes grew into the game after the break as Real's thoughts perhaps turned towards Bayern, and Miguel Guerrero wasted an excellent chance to halve the deficit as he headed wide from a Nabil El Zhar cross.
But the away team did pull one back in the 66th minute, as Nordin Amrabat forced his way to the byline and squared for Brasanac to tap in from close range.
On-loan Watford winger Amrabat was proving dangerous, and the Moroccan saw a low shot saved by stand-in Real goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.
Leganes continued to pile on the pressure, with Casilla making a brilliant stop to deny Bustinza.
Leganes defender Gabriel sent off in injury-time, as Real clung on for the three points after a below-par performance.
Earlier yesterday, Athletic Bilbao midfielder Mikel San Jose scored two own goals as his side slipped to a 3-1 defeat at Real Sociedad in Saturday's Basque country derby.
The 28-year-old volleyed a corner emphatically past his own goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the 15th minute, before Mikel Oyarzabal doubled the advantage before half-time.
San Jose became only the second player to ever score two own goals in a La Liga match at the Anoeta Stadium, putting through his own net early in the second half before Raul Garcia scored a consolation from the penalty spot. MILAN: Juventus battled past ten-man Inter Milan with two late goals giving the champions a 3-2 win in the San Siro to reopen a four-point lead at the top of the Serie A table.
Inter looked as if they would pull off an unlikely victory as the hosts led until three minutes from the whistle despite playing over 70 minutes a man down after Matias Vecino was sent off yesterday.
But Milan Skriniar turned the ball into his own net after 87 minutes with Gonzalo Higuain heading in the winner two minutes later.
"We lost at the last minute, but this time we turned it around with hunger, pride, thirst for victory," said Higuain in reference to last week's 1-0 loss to second-placed Napoli.
"It looked as if it was over, like against Napoli it looked as if it was going to end in a draw and we lost. It's a very important win for the title and there are another three matches to go. It's a great confidence booster." Juventus' lead had been cut to one point after their defeat by Napoli in Turin last week.
Maurizio Sarri's Napoli travel to Fiorentina bidding to match the champions and keep their push for a third title after 1987 and 1990 alive.
Saturday's defeat damages Inter's hopes of Champions League football next season as they stay fifth behind Roma and Lazio with just three games to play.
Douglas Costa fired in the opener for Juventus after 13 minutes following a cross from Juan Cuadrado. Minutes later Vecino was shown red for a foul on Mario Mandzukic.
Juventus thought they had scored a second just before half-time but the VAR showed Blaise Matuidi was offside when he found the net.
Mauro Icardi then headed in the equaliser for Inter seven minutes after the break for his 27th goal this season, and the hosts took the lead when the ball bounced in off Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli.
But Juventus turned it around and after Skriniar's own goal Higuain headed in from close range. In a bizarre finish, Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri was sent to the stands for coming onto the pitch to celebrate.