MADRID - Gonzalo Higuain's 13th goal of the season helped Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 1-0 and notch its seventh straight Spanish league victory on Saturday.
Higuain raced onto Raul Gonzalez's glancing headed pass in the 49th minute, cut back to evade a desperate lunge by Santander defender Cesar Navas and sidefooted an angled shot past goalkeeper Tono Rodriguez.
The victory moved the defending champion to nine points behind Barcelona, although the leader has the chance to restore its 12-point advantage if it beats Sporting Gijon on Sunday for its 10th straight win.
Attention was focused on Madrid captain Raul during the game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. However, the former Spain striker failed to score the goal he needed to take his career tally to 308 and become the powerhouse's all-time topscorer ahead of the great Alfredo Di Stefano.
Meanwhile, Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was playing his 454th official match, equaling the club record set by Paco Buyo in the 1980s and 90s.
In Saturday's late game, second-half goals by Sergio Garcia and Ricardo Oliveira brought Real Betis a 2-1 win over Sevilla, its first victory in 13 years at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium of its crosstown rival.
Barcelona has 56 points, Madrid 47, and Sevilla stayed in third with 38.
Also on Sunday, off-form Atletico Madrid aims to improve under new coach Abel Resino, who replaced the fired Javier Aguirre this week, when it visits Recreativo Huelva.
Other games are: Malaga versus Almeria; Valladolid versus Athletic Bilbao; Getafe versus Espanyol; Villarreal versus Numancia; Mallorca versus Deportivo La Coruna; and Osasuna versus Valencia.
Madrid has taken 21 out a possible 24 points since Juande Ramos replaced fired coach Bernd Schuster last December, although the team had to resist a late charge by Santander to achieve this latest victory.
"I think we had enough chances to score a second goal ... but when it didn't come the nerves appeared. The positive thing is that the team didn't concede any goals and we've got three points more," Ramos was quoted as saying by news agency Efe.
While Madrid dominated the first half, with Sergio Ramos and Arjen Robben almost opening the scoring, Casillas tipped over a drive by Santander forward Jonathan Pereira in the 40th minute.
Santander players left the field in angry mood at halftime just after Pereira appeared to be kicked on the ground by Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze after being pushed over by his teammate Pepe. Referee Carlos Clos Gomez took no action against either Madrid player.
Madrid's recent signing from West Ham, winger Julien Faubert, replaced Robben in the 61st minute to make his debut and four minutes later Pereira spurned a chance to equalize by slicing his shot well wide of Casillas' left post.
Casillas then dived to frustrate Pereira again in the 74th although the Madrid goalkeeper was forced to watch nervously as the ball bounced off Pepe and almost into his goal.
Betis' Garcia swivelled to make contact with a long, floated kick from defender Juan (Melli) Andreu in the 70th minute to send Sevilla on its way to third straight league defeat.
A minute earlier, Sevilla midfielder Aldo Duscher received his second yellow card and was ejected from a characteristically fierce local derby.
Brazil international Oliveira, who was playing his first game since recently rejoining Betis from second-division Zaragoza, added the second goal by firing an angled shot through the legs of goalkeeper Andres Palop 13 minutes later.
Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute reduced the deficit in injury time when he headed home from defender Fernando Navarro's cross from the left.
While the match between the rivals from the Andalusian city has in the past been marred by crowd violence, there were no reports of trouble this time.
Pereira can torpedo people like hell. Schneider got a minor injury by this rocking torpedo. You rock Pereira! I idolize this small footballer.
original is here.
Higuain raced onto Raul Gonzalez's glancing headed pass in the 49th minute, cut back to evade a desperate lunge by Santander defender Cesar Navas and sidefooted an angled shot past goalkeeper Tono Rodriguez.
The victory moved the defending champion to nine points behind Barcelona, although the leader has the chance to restore its 12-point advantage if it beats Sporting Gijon on Sunday for its 10th straight win.
Attention was focused on Madrid captain Raul during the game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. However, the former Spain striker failed to score the goal he needed to take his career tally to 308 and become the powerhouse's all-time topscorer ahead of the great Alfredo Di Stefano.
Meanwhile, Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was playing his 454th official match, equaling the club record set by Paco Buyo in the 1980s and 90s.
In Saturday's late game, second-half goals by Sergio Garcia and Ricardo Oliveira brought Real Betis a 2-1 win over Sevilla, its first victory in 13 years at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium of its crosstown rival.
Barcelona has 56 points, Madrid 47, and Sevilla stayed in third with 38.
Also on Sunday, off-form Atletico Madrid aims to improve under new coach Abel Resino, who replaced the fired Javier Aguirre this week, when it visits Recreativo Huelva.
Other games are: Malaga versus Almeria; Valladolid versus Athletic Bilbao; Getafe versus Espanyol; Villarreal versus Numancia; Mallorca versus Deportivo La Coruna; and Osasuna versus Valencia.
Madrid has taken 21 out a possible 24 points since Juande Ramos replaced fired coach Bernd Schuster last December, although the team had to resist a late charge by Santander to achieve this latest victory.
"I think we had enough chances to score a second goal ... but when it didn't come the nerves appeared. The positive thing is that the team didn't concede any goals and we've got three points more," Ramos was quoted as saying by news agency Efe.
While Madrid dominated the first half, with Sergio Ramos and Arjen Robben almost opening the scoring, Casillas tipped over a drive by Santander forward Jonathan Pereira in the 40th minute.
Santander players left the field in angry mood at halftime just after Pereira appeared to be kicked on the ground by Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze after being pushed over by his teammate Pepe. Referee Carlos Clos Gomez took no action against either Madrid player.
Madrid's recent signing from West Ham, winger Julien Faubert, replaced Robben in the 61st minute to make his debut and four minutes later Pereira spurned a chance to equalize by slicing his shot well wide of Casillas' left post.
Casillas then dived to frustrate Pereira again in the 74th although the Madrid goalkeeper was forced to watch nervously as the ball bounced off Pepe and almost into his goal.
Betis' Garcia swivelled to make contact with a long, floated kick from defender Juan (Melli) Andreu in the 70th minute to send Sevilla on its way to third straight league defeat.
A minute earlier, Sevilla midfielder Aldo Duscher received his second yellow card and was ejected from a characteristically fierce local derby.
Brazil international Oliveira, who was playing his first game since recently rejoining Betis from second-division Zaragoza, added the second goal by firing an angled shot through the legs of goalkeeper Andres Palop 13 minutes later.
Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute reduced the deficit in injury time when he headed home from defender Fernando Navarro's cross from the left.
While the match between the rivals from the Andalusian city has in the past been marred by crowd violence, there were no reports of trouble this time.
Pereira can torpedo people like hell. Schneider got a minor injury by this rocking torpedo. You rock Pereira! I idolize this small footballer.
original is here.
2 comments:
I wish to comment on Gonzalo Higuain on what a fine player he is becoming in Real Madrid. I truly believe that he can do for Real just like what Messi does for Barca. It is amazing to see just how much he has carried his team during the time when other key players are out injured.
Also, I feel that the new coach Juande Ramos is an excellent coach for the team, judging by his success with Seville. Many would only prefer to remember him for his failure with Spurs but every reasonable football fans should that those players in Spurs are NO class compare to the ones he coached in Seville.
But anyway, enough has been said from me. I would like to hear your views as a Spanish football fan about Higuain, Ramos and the club.
http://mundoalbiceleste.blogspot.com/2009/02/pipitas-strike-puts-real-in-seventh.html
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