Real regain handy lead
Madrid – La Liga leaders Real Madrid regained their seven-point cushion at the top on Sunday as they benefited from two own goals in a comfortable 4-0 home win over struggling Celta Vigo.
Vinicius Junior (above) turned in a rebound from Antonio Rudiger’s header at the second attempt midway through the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu before a Celta side coached by former Madrid boss Rafa Benitez unravelled late on.
Rudiger powered another header against the bar which bounced back off Celta goalkeeper Vicente Guaita and over the line for an own goal, effectively sealing the points for the hosts with 11 minutes left.
Guaita was then involved in a mix-up with Carlos Dominguez as the defender bundled a teasing Vinicius cross into his own net.
Turkish starlet Arda Guler, whose debut season in Spain has been ravaged by injuries, came off the bench to grab his first Madrid goal in stoppage time as Carlo Ancelotti’s side brushed off the absence of the suspended Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham, the league’s top scorer this season with 16 goals, watched from the stands after an appeal against the England international’s two-match ban for his red card against Valencia last weekend was dismissed.
Madrid played poorly in a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, but it was enough to see them through to the Champions League quarterfinals 2-1 on aggregate.
Despite dropping points in three of their past five league games, Madrid had gained ground on second-placed Girona recently as the surprise challengers’ unlikely title bid began to taper off.
Madrid are now 22 games unbeaten in La Liga and eight points above reigning champions Barcelona, who are just behind Girona in third place.
“It wasn’t that difficult to do better than Wednesday,” said Ancelotti. “We started well, took advantage of the set-piece to take the lead and then control.
“We’re happy. We’ve done what was needed. We know it’s an important moment of the season.”
Celta remain in 17th, just two points above the relegation zone.
Athletic Bilbao bolstered their Champions League hopes with a 2-0 win at Las Palmas that lifted them to within two points of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
“This year the whole team is having a very good season,” said Athletic striker Gorka Guruzeta, who scored their opener. –