Real triumphs in derby to keep pace with Barca
Source: Agencies |
March 21, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
REAL Madrid stayed hard on the heels of leader Barcelona when in-form striker Karim Benzema scored in the 2-1 win at battling city rival Atletico in La Liga on Saturday.
Barcelona earlier beat Getafe by the same score thanks to a Dani Alves screamer and Bojan Krkic strike that put it eight points clear before Mesut Ozil added to Benzema's 11th-minute effort to trim the gap back to five with nine games remaining.
Barcelona has 78 points from 29 matches with Real on 73.
Benzema initially struggled to win over Real coach Jose Mourinho but has been in a purple patch of form in recent weeks after his promotion to replace injured first-choice striker Gonzalo Higuain.
The France international's neat chip over Atletico goalkeeper David De Gea to open the scoring at the Vicente Calderon was his eighth in five matches in all competitions.
Atletico piled the pressure on the visitors after falling behind and Real had Spain's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas to thank for a string of saves that denied Sergio Aguero and Jose Antonio Reyes.
Penalty area
German international Ozil doubled Real's lead when he stroked Marcelo's low cross high past De Gea from the edge of the penalty area in the 33rd minute.
Argentina forward Aguero finally beat Casillas with a low shot four minutes from time to set up a nervous finale for Real but the hosts were unable to make their late pressure count.
Europa League champion Atletico has not beaten Real since a 3-1 success at the Bernabeu in October 1999 and its latest defeat, which left it in eighth place on 39 points, was a blow to its hopes of playing in Europe again next season.
"One day they have to beat us," Casillas said in a television interview. "Today they pressed hard and maybe the result was unjust."
In the earlier kickoff, Jonathan de Guzman lashed in a freekick to give Real Mallorca a 1-0 home win over 10-man Real Zaragoza and lift Michael Laudrup's side to ninth on 38 points.
Barcelona earlier beat Getafe by the same score thanks to a Dani Alves screamer and Bojan Krkic strike that put it eight points clear before Mesut Ozil added to Benzema's 11th-minute effort to trim the gap back to five with nine games remaining.
Barcelona has 78 points from 29 matches with Real on 73.
Benzema initially struggled to win over Real coach Jose Mourinho but has been in a purple patch of form in recent weeks after his promotion to replace injured first-choice striker Gonzalo Higuain.
The France international's neat chip over Atletico goalkeeper David De Gea to open the scoring at the Vicente Calderon was his eighth in five matches in all competitions.
Atletico piled the pressure on the visitors after falling behind and Real had Spain's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas to thank for a string of saves that denied Sergio Aguero and Jose Antonio Reyes.
Penalty area
German international Ozil doubled Real's lead when he stroked Marcelo's low cross high past De Gea from the edge of the penalty area in the 33rd minute.
Argentina forward Aguero finally beat Casillas with a low shot four minutes from time to set up a nervous finale for Real but the hosts were unable to make their late pressure count.
Europa League champion Atletico has not beaten Real since a 3-1 success at the Bernabeu in October 1999 and its latest defeat, which left it in eighth place on 39 points, was a blow to its hopes of playing in Europe again next season.
"One day they have to beat us," Casillas said in a television interview. "Today they pressed hard and maybe the result was unjust."
In the earlier kickoff, Jonathan de Guzman lashed in a freekick to give Real Mallorca a 1-0 home win over 10-man Real Zaragoza and lift Michael Laudrup's side to ninth on 38 points.
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