ASENSIO BELTER HELPS REAL OUT OF SLUMP
GOALS from Casemiro, Marco Asensio and Isco kept Real Madrid’s title hopes alive as they saw off Las Palmas 3-0 last night. With top two Barcelona and Valencia both winning on Saturday, Madrid had to win to keep their title hopes alive and they did just that in front of an expectant Bernabeu crowd. Zinedine Zidane’s side move back into third on goal difference ahead of Atletico Madrid, who won 1-0 away to Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday. Asensio’s goal will linger longest in the memory, an inconceivably sweet half-volley which mixed rare precision with maximum power. Three points still leaves Madrid eight points adrift of Barca but the mini-slump has at least been emphatically arrested. Girona followed up their shock win over Madrid with victory at Levante, jumping into the top half of La Liga in the process. After upsetting the defending champions last weekend, the Catalans were 2-1 winners at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia. At Balaidos, Celta Vigo swept Athletic Bilbao aside 3-1. Sergi Gomez got the ball rolling just after the quarter-hour before Spain striker Iago Aspas netted twice in quick succession to effectively kill the game. Villarreal moved fifth after seeing off rock-bottom Malaga 2-0 at Estadio de la Ceramica. Nicola Sansone grabbed both of the goals in the space of eight second-half minutes, to leave the visitors rooted to the basement and the Yellow Submarine in the hunt for Champions League football. Real Sociedad defeated visiting Eibar 3-1. Willian Jose, Adnan Januzaj and Mikel Oyarzaba all registered for Sociedad before Joan Jordan hit back in consolation. In Italy, second-half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Juan Cuadrado spared Juventus’ blushes as they came from behind to inflict a 12th straight Serie A defeat on Benevento. The result lifts Juve above Inter Milan into second, just one point behind leaders Napoli after they were held to a 0-0 draw at Chievo. Inter Milan also dropped points as they drew 1-1 with Torino in yesterday’s early kick-off. Beginning the day two points behind leaders Napoli, Inter had the chance to go top of the table — for a few hours at least — but it was not to be as they failed to win at San Siro for the first time this season. Gerson scored twice as Roma beat Fiorentina 4-2 in a thrilling encounter while Cagliari secured their second home win on the bounce as goals from Luca Ceppitelli and Paolo Farago helped them to a 2-1 victory over struggling Hellas Verona.