Real Madrid returned to their winning ways against RCD Espanyol on Saturday, winning 3-0 despite playing most of the second half with 10 men to move four points clear at the top of La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo was restored to the starting lineup after being rested for Real’s 2-0 Copa del Rey defeat to Atletico Madrid last week and set up James Rodriguez to open the scoring 12 minutes in.
Gareth Bale then doubled the hosts’ advantage with a sumptuous free-kick, but their route to a comfortable three points was complicated when Fabio Coentrao was sent off eight minutes into the second period.
Photo: Reuters
However, Espanyol failed to make their numerical advantage count as Nacho added a third 14 minutes from time to put the pressure on Real title rivals Barcelona and Atletico, who were to face each other at the Camp Nou yesterday.
“The sending off was an incomprehensible decision,” Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said. “It made the game more complicated for us, but thankfully the team was in a good state mentally.”
The Italian made four changes in all from the side that slipped to a defeat at the Estadio Vicente Calderon on Wednesday and there was never any danger of the European champions starting the year with three consecutive defeats as they dominated from start to finish at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Valencia had to settle for a point at RC Celta de Vigo as Fabian Orellana redeemed himself by scoring the Galician club’s first goal in eight league games to secure a point after seeing a first-half penalty saved by Diego Alves.
Rodrigo had given the visitors the lead just before halftime.
The draw moves Los Che two points clear of Sevilla in fourth, but the Andalusian side have two games in hand on Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.
European hopefuls Malaga and Villarreal remain in seventh and sixth respectively after a 1-1 draw at La Rosaleda.
Nordim Amrabat salvaged a point for the hosts after Jonathan dos Santos’ opener for Villarreal.
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