Real Madrid came out of their recent slump to defeat Sevilla 3-1 on Sunday and stretch their lead at the top of the Spanish first division to six points.
Villarreal, 3-0 conquerors of Atletico Madrid, are in second place while Barcelona are a point further back in third.
Barca's 3-2 slip against Real Betis on Saturday presented Real with a perfect opportunity to take a giant step towards retaining their title and the champions grasped it with both hands.
PHOTO :AP
"It was a complete game from my team from defense right through to the attack," said Real coach Bernd Schuster.
"Everyone played to their top level tonight and for that reason I don't want to single out individuals for praise," he said. "After the bad luck against Valencia we have won an important game and we just have to continue what we are doing to win the title and not look back."
Gabriel Heinze's first league goal for Real put the hosts ahead as early as the seventh minute only for Frederic Kanoute to level the scores on 37 minutes.
However, captain Raul Gonzalez scored minutes later for his 290th Real goal to make him the club's joint second all-time top scorer along with Carlos Santillana and he is hunting Alfredo di Stefano's mark of 307.
Gonzalo Higuain added a third as Real ended a sequence of two successive league defeats.
Sevilla lost ground in their quest for a Champions League place and are five points behind Atletico Madrid and Racing Santander who are fourth and fifth respectively.
"It was an open game with both teams going for it," said Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez. "Real had more chances than us, although we had opportunities ourselves, and I think the second goal was the key."
Unfashionable Racing continue to dream of Champions League soccer after Sunday's 3-0 win at rivals Espanyol moved them level on points with fourth-placed Atletico.
"We are delighted with the win and above all how we won," said Racing coach Marcelinho Garcia. "We have taken an important step but not a decisive one. We just have to concentrate on trying to win next Sunday's match."
After losing 3-2 at home to Valencia, Real were keen to put on a good show at the Santiago Bernabeu -- recently confirmed as the venue for the 2010 Champions League final.
Pepe was injured on international duty with Portugal so Heinze moved into central defense.
Sevilla had a full-strength team with Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano, who has openly admitted that he would relish a summer move to Real, particularly keen to impress.
Real took a seventh minute lead with Wesley Sneijder's terrific set-piece was bundled in by Heinze.
Raul was twice denied by Andres Palop but Kanoute volleyed home an equalizer on 37 minutes.
But Sevilla then switched off and a minute later Raul showed neat control before smashing the ball home to put the hosts back in front. Higuain then put the game to bed allowing Real to relax.
After beating Barcelona in the cup and Real in the league last weekend Valencia came back down to earth with a demoralizing 3-0 home defeat to Real Mallorca.
Spanish international Daniel Guiza scored a double to inflict an eighth home defeat on Valencia.
Real Zaragoza, who qualified for the UEFA Cup last season, are also having a torrid season and are fourth from bottom following a 2-1 defeat by fellow strugglers Valladolid.
Deportivo La Coruna moved four points clear of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win over fellow strugglers Real Murcia.
Levante have propped up the 20-strong table virtually the entire season and and fell to their 21st defeat of the campaign with a 2-1 loss at Almeria. They are now 14 points from safety with just 24 points left to play for.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
RSS