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March 26, 2012

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Real pummels Sociedad to restore six-point lead

LA Liga leader Real Madrid ended a run of two straight draws and restored its six-point advantage over arch-rival Barcelona when it crushed Real Sociedad 5-1 on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho's side let its football do the talking after a controversial week when the Portuguese coach was sent off during last Wednesday's 1-1 stalemate at Villarreal for criticizing the referee.

Mourinho was banned from the bench for the game at the Santiago Bernabeu but two goals each from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema and one from Gonzalo Higuain lifted Real to 75 points with nine matches remaining.

Barcelona has 69 points in second after Lionel Messi's free kick set the Catalans on their way to a 2-0 win at Real Mallorca, the Argentine World Player of the Year's 18th goal in his last nine games for his club.

Pep Guardiola's side, which visits AC Milan in a Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday, had to play most of the second half with 10 men when midfielder Thiago Alcantara was harshly shown a second yellow card for a handball on 57 minutes.

Third-placed Valencia slipped further behind the leaders and pressure increased on its coach Unai Emery after it lost 1-3 at Getafe in the late kickoff to stay on 47 points, three ahead of city rival Levante, which was hosting Osasuna today.

Real went for all-out attack against 14th-placed Sociedad, with strike partners Benzema and Higuain getting a rare start together and supported by Ronaldo and Kaka.

Benzema set up Higuain for the opening goal in the sixth minute, Ronaldo added a second just after the half hour and Benzema made it 3-0 five minutes before halftime. Sociedad pulled a goal back a minute later through Xabi Prieto before Benzema and Ronaldo made it 5-1.


 

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