Real Madrid maintained a one-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga as Cristiano Ronaldo was on target in a hard fought 3-1 win at rock bottom CA Osasuna on Saturday.
Earlier, Barca’s front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all struck in a 6-0 thrashing of Deportivo Alaves.
Real Madrid also have two games in hand on their title rivals.
Photo: AP
However, both games were overshadowed by horrible injuries as Barca’s Aleix Vidal suffered a dislocated right ankle that will keep him out for five months and Osasuna’s Tano Bonnin a double leg fracture.
“There was not such a difference [between the sides]. It is true it was the leaders against last in the table, but you have to play the games and the opponents always make it difficult against Madrid,” Real coach Zinedine Zidane said. “We had to suffer, but in the end we got what we came for.”
The game at El Sadar was only 15 minutes old when Bonnin came off worse in an innocuous looking challenge with Isco to the visible shock of players on both sides.
Osasuna had started on the front foot, but suffered a further blow nine minutes later when Karim Benzema’s through-ball found Ronaldo and the World Player of the Year’s drive from a narrow angle had too much power for Salvatore Sirigu.
The hosts responded in style just after the half-hour mark when Sergio Leon broke into an ocean of space behind the Madrid defense before producing a cool chip over Keylor Navas.
Eventually, Real’s extra quality shone through when Isco latched onto a loose ball inside the penalty area and slotted into the far corner just after the hour mark.
Lucas Vazquez made the points safe with a measured dink over Sirigu in the final minute of stoppage-time.
Barca’s success was soured by violent clashes between fans outside the ground before kickoff which left one supporter in hospital with serious head injuries.
Both sides later released statements condemning the violence.
“I go away with very good feelings from the football perspective, for the result and the way we achieved it, but I am upset by Aleix’s injury, the way it came about and what it means for him,” Barca coach Luis Enrique said.
Barca confirmed Vidal underwent surgery on Saturday night that will keep him out for the rest of the season.
Barca went in front thanks to a fine team move finished off by Suarez from close range eight minutes before halftime.
A goalkeeping error from Fernando Pachecho allowed Barca to double their lead three minutes later when he punched a loose ball off Suarez’s head and it rebounded for Neymar to tap into an empty net.
Messi drilled his 34th goal of the season low past Pacheco just before the hour mark.
The Argentine was then played in by Suarez, with the last touch coming off Alaves defender Alexis to make it 4-0.
Ivan Rakitic blasted home the fifth from Suarez’s cutback, before the Uruguayan rounded off the rout himself after Pacheco had parried Neymar’s initial effort.
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