Ronaldo propels Real to the brink of La Liga title
Source: Agencies |
April 30, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CRISTIANO Ronaldo struck his 43rd league goal of the campaign to set Real Madrid on its way to a 3-0 home win over Sevilla yesterday that put it within a whisker of a first La Liga title in four years.
It was a much-needed return to winning ways for Jose Mourinho's side after the shock of last Wednesday's Champions League semifinal elimination by Bayern Munich and it could clinch the title later in the day if second-placed Barcelona loses at Rayo Vallecano.
Karim Benzema contributed a quickfire double early in the second half as Real moved on to 91 points with three games left, with Barcelona, whose three-year stranglehold on the Spanish title is almost certainly drawing to an end, 10 points adrift on 81.
The holder was also dumped out of Europe in midweek, losing 2-3 on aggregate to Chelsea last Tuesday, and was stunned three days later by the news that coach Pep Guardiola was stepping down after four years during which he led the team to 13 trophies.
"We won this game which was very important and now we'll carry on so we can close out the league title," Benzema said on Spanish television.
Ronaldo's 19th-minute opener at the Bernabeu, scene of Real's dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Bayern, was his 57th goal in all competitions and he became the first player since Everton's Dixie Dean 80 years ago to score 43 league goals in a season.
Benzema made it 3-0 with goals in the 48th and 52nd minutes as Sevilla, which squandered a host of good chances, was swatted aside. The Andalusians are ninth on 46 points and in danger of missing out on a lucrative place in Europe next season.
It was a much-needed return to winning ways for Jose Mourinho's side after the shock of last Wednesday's Champions League semifinal elimination by Bayern Munich and it could clinch the title later in the day if second-placed Barcelona loses at Rayo Vallecano.
Karim Benzema contributed a quickfire double early in the second half as Real moved on to 91 points with three games left, with Barcelona, whose three-year stranglehold on the Spanish title is almost certainly drawing to an end, 10 points adrift on 81.
The holder was also dumped out of Europe in midweek, losing 2-3 on aggregate to Chelsea last Tuesday, and was stunned three days later by the news that coach Pep Guardiola was stepping down after four years during which he led the team to 13 trophies.
"We won this game which was very important and now we'll carry on so we can close out the league title," Benzema said on Spanish television.
Ronaldo's 19th-minute opener at the Bernabeu, scene of Real's dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Bayern, was his 57th goal in all competitions and he became the first player since Everton's Dixie Dean 80 years ago to score 43 league goals in a season.
Benzema made it 3-0 with goals in the 48th and 52nd minutes as Sevilla, which squandered a host of good chances, was swatted aside. The Andalusians are ninth on 46 points and in danger of missing out on a lucrative place in Europe next season.
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