VINI PROVES UNSTOPPABL
Brazilian forward’s brace gives Real Madrid 4-2 win at Osasuna
Pamplona, Spain - Runaway Laliga leaders Real Madrid continued their march towards the title with an easy 4-2 victory away at Osasuna on Saturday, with Vinicius Jr scoring a brace.
Real are alone at the league summit with 72 points, 10 ahead of second-placed Girona who lost to Getafe. Osasuna are 10th with 36 points.
The win extended Real's unbeaten streak to 23 matches.
"Great game, from the beginning to the end, with good commitment, good attitude; it was an important game to get ahead of and we made the most of it," manager Carlo Ancelotti told Real Madrid TV.
Vinicius put the visitors ahead after four minutes but Osasuna's Ante Budimir levelled the score three minutes later by slotting in a close-range shot following a corner.
Dani Carvajal restored Real's lead after 18 minutes, using the outside of his foot to steer a curving shot into the far corner.
Brahim Diaz scored the third goal for the visitors in the 61st minute, before Vinicius got his second three minutes later with a low finish from a tight angle inside the box.
"Today he (Vinicius Jr) could (have scored) four goals without a problem; he has been extraordinary in all the situations he has had, correct, cold in front of the
goal. We need a player like that," Ancelotti added.
In stoppage time, Osasuna got their second goal when Iker Munoz received a cutback inside the box and sent a powerful shot into the net.
Arda Guler had the chance to
score a fifth goal for Real Madrid in the dying moments of the match but his shot from the centre of the field hit the top of the crossbar and bounced out.
Girona lost 1-0 at Getafe on Saturday, with a first-half goal from teenager Jesus Santiago,
leaving their hold on second place in the standings in jeopardy. "I have no words to describe this defeat. We came here for the three points that were very important and we couldn't get them," Girona forward Savio said.