Real Madrid kept pace with Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league table with Brazilian playmaker Kaka pulling the strings in a 3-0 win at Espanyol on Saturday.
Kaka has yet to open his Real account since joining from AC Milan, but showed a touch of class to set up Esteban Granero for his first Real goal and create the second for stand-in captain Guti.
Substitute Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s most expensive player, added a third in the final minute for his second goal in as many games.
PHOTO: AFP
It was Espanyol’s first competitive game at their new Cornella-El Prat Stadium and Real had some worrying moments before their class shone through to make it a maximum six points.
Granero struck the 40th-minute opener after a clever one-two with Kaka.
Kaka then turned the defense inside out and provided a pinpoint pass for Guti to ram home on 77 minutes, before Ronaldo netted in the closing stages.
Events at Espanyol began with a minute’s silence to mark the death of captain Dani Jarque, who died of a heart attack at the age of 26 at a pre-season training camp.
Real ought to have gone ahead on six minutes, but Christoph Metzelder managed to put the ball over from under the goal in an early miss of the season contender.
At the other end, Iker Casillas had to parry a Moises Hurtado toe-poke to prevent Espanyol from taking the lead.
Casillas was celebrating a decade between the Real posts after making his debut for Real on Sept. 12, 1999, at Athletic Bilbao. Espanyol were threatening, but Real carved out two golden chances in a minute and converted one of them.
Granero played a one-two with Kaka before curling the ball into the left corner past Carlos Kameni.
It was harsh on the Cameroon goalkeeper who had pulled off a brilliant save 60 seconds earlier to thwart Marcelo.
Espanyol probed before Kaka undid them with a swift turn and Guti accepted his pass to kill off the game.
The victory means there is the familiar top two of Barcelona and Real at the summit after Barcelona won 2-0 at Getafe on Saturday. Barcelona are top on goal difference.
Barca’s record signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic made it two goals in two games following up his debut strike with a vital opener on 65th minutes, before substitute Lionel Messi grabbed a second.
The goals are a real boost for Ibrahimovic as he bids to justify his 69 million euros transfer fee and the Swede can now look forward to facing old club Inter in Wednesday’s Champions League match at the San Siro.
Barcelona found it tough going against Getafe, who rattled the woodwork twice, and coach Pep Guardiola paid tribute to the returning Messi and Andres Iniesta, back from injury after three months out, who came on as second-half substitutes to change the game.
“We can’t deny that they [Iniesta and Messi] are too very good players,” Guardiola said.
Sevilla, third last season, notched their first win of the season in style, thumping Real Zaragoza 4-1. Brazilian Luis Fabiano scored a brace, with Diego Perotti and Abdoulay Konko also on the score sheet.
Atletico Madrid are still searching for their first win of the season after a disappointing 1-1 home draw against 10-man Racing Santander.
Atletico fans staged protests at the club’s lack of transfer activity.
Jose Jurado put Atletico ahead on 43 minutes, but Oscar Serrano equalized in first-half injury-time.
Racing had defender Jose Crespo sent off shortly after the interval, but Atletico could not capitalize.
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