Real’s long wait over as it goes top in Spain
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Real Madrid’s long wait to be back on top of the Spanish league is finally over. And it wasn’t all due to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Spanish giant is in tremendous form to sit alone atop the La Liga standings for the first time since the 2011/12 season, when it won the title.
Real is unbeaten in 26 games — its best run since 1988/89 — before tomorrow’s Champions League match at Schalke, when Ronaldo returns after serving a three-game domestic ban.
Real’s attack hasn’t dipped despite the Ballon d’Or winner’s absence with Gareth Bale shining in a 3-0 win over Elche on Saturday.
On Sunday, Atletico Madrid slumped to a stunning 0-3 loss at Osasuna, which beat Atletico at its own game.
It was tough in its physical approach and its set piece strategy to take a three-goal lead at the break after one of Atletico’s worst first halves in three years under coach Diego Simeone.
Alvaro Cejudo opened the scoring from a corner kick in the sixth minute before fellow forwards Emiliano Armenteros and Roberto Torres added goals in the 21st and 42nd.
Atletico’s loss came one day after Barcelona lost 1-3 at Real Sociedad, with both the former front-runners looking weary after their Champions League trips in midweek.
Atletico fullback Filipe Luis, who returned from injury, said that its win at AC Milan on Wednesday had nothing to do with this defeat.
“Osasuna played a great game,” said Filipe Luis. “You can’t take anything away from them. They beat us in every facet of the match.”
Atletico and Barcelona have both dropped 10 points over the last seven rounds.
Also on Sunday, Athletic Bilbao strengthened its hold on fourth place by winning 2-0 at Real Betis after the bottom side had two players dismissed, while Valencia and Sevilla won to move to within five points of sixth place and Spain’s last Europa League spot.
Bilbao’s win kept it in command of Spain’s last Champions League berth.
In Italy, Carloz Tevez struck again to help Juventus beat Torino 1-0 in the Turin derby as Antonio Conte’s side maintained its charge to a third straight Serie A title.
Tevez scored on the half hour mark, although Torino will feel aggrieved not to have been awarded a late penalty when Omar El Kaddouri appeared to be tripped by Andrea Pirlo.
It was Tevez’s 13th goal of the season and sees him move level with Giuseppe Rossi at the top of the goalscoring table. The Fiorentina striker was injured at the beginning of January and is out for the rest of the season.
Juventus moved nine points ahead of second-placed Roma, which has a game in hand.
Hellas Verona almost squandered a three-goal lead but held on to win 3-2 at struggling Livorno and moved a point behind Inter.
Elsewhere, AC Milan beat Sampdoria 2-0 with new signings Adel Taarabt and Adil Rami scoring for Milan.
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