Real Madrid won its 11th straight game on Sunday, coming from
behind to beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 to stay top in the Spanish
league ahead of Barcelona.
Atletico led in the 10th minute when Jose Antonio Reyes
curled the ball into the goal.
Xabi Alonso equalized in the 49th before delivering a long
pass in the 55th to Alvaro Arbeloa, who capped his solo run by
beating goalkeeper David De Gea with a low shot.
Gonzalo Higuain's 23rd goal this season put Madrid 3-1 up in
the 62nd before Diego Forlan scored a penalty in the 68th.
Madrid, which hasn't lost to Atletico since 1999, has rallied
to win for three straight games at Santiago Bernabeu stadium
including against Sporting Gijon and Sevilla.
Madrid and Barcelona are both on 74 points but Madrid's goal
difference is better by two.
Madrid defender Raul Albiol's mistimed lunge allowed Tiago to
find Sergio Aguero, who quickly shifted the ball for Reyes on his
favored left foot to beat goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Atletico kept Cristiano Ronaldo mostly in check but Higuain
was dangerous with each touch, although a poor one in the 32nd
denied him a clear break.
De Gea got down to stop Marcelo's volley in the 37th before
Tiago deflected Higuain's shot from a meter out with the goal open.
Higuain's miss was outdone by Ronaldo's to close the half, the
Portugal winger heading wide with the goal wide open.
But Madrid pressed hard to start the second half, and Alonso
volleyed home Albiol's headed pass at the far post to level.
Arbeloa then showed a sublime touch as he eluded Alvaro
Dominguez with some impressive moves before scoring with a low
shot.
Madrid looked unstoppable as Higuain's header hit the cross
in the 60th. Soon after, he pounced on a lazy clearance by Atletico
to beat De Gea.
Alonso handled the ball inside his own area in the 67th for
Atletico's spot kick, and Forlan sent Casillas the wrong way for
his 15th goal of the season.
Atletico is 10th with 37 points.
Earlier, Sevilla lost 3-0 at Villarreal under new coach
Antonio Alvarez to extend its winless run to eight games, while
last-place Xerez maintained its hopes of remaining in the Spain's
topflight league by beating fellow relegation battler Valladolid
3-0.
At El Madrigal stadium, Villarreal was 2-0 up after Giuseppe
Rossi poked a bouncing ball past goalkeeper Andres Palop five
minutes in and Joseba Llorente headed a cross under Palop 13
minutes later. Robert Pires scored the last goal in injury time.
Alvarez replaced Manolo Jimenez earlier this week after
Sevilla was knocked out of the Champions League by CSKA Moscow
coupled with its poor domestic run.
Victor Sanchez and Miguel Angel Carrilero paced Xerez with
first half goals before Mario Bermejo blasted a penalty past Haris
Medunjanin in the 71st, after the Valladolid midfielder replaced
goalkeeper Justo Villar, who was sent off for tripping Bermejo to
set up the spot kick with no substitutions left for the visitors.
Xerez is seven points behind 17th-place Zaragoza - a 3-0
winner over Valencia on Saturday - two points back of Valladolid
and three of Tenerife after its second victory in three games.
"We lost a great opportunity against a direct rival, who
we've now given a life line," Valladolid coach Onesimo Sanchez
said.
Deportivo La Coruna slumped to a third straight defeat with a
3-1 loss to Getafe, with Nicolas "Miku" Ladislao guiding passes
from Pedro Leon into goal either side of defender Ze Castro's
own-goal in the 32nd. Ivan "Riki" Sanchez scored for Deportivo in
the 72nd at El Riazor stadium.
Also, Walter Pandiani's 20th-minute header gave Osasuna a 1-0
win over Almeria to end a seven-game winless streak and Espanyol
and Sporting Gijon drew 0-0.
Valencia stayed third, while Mallorca is in fourth spot - the
last Champions League qualifying place - and leads Sevilla by two
points with nine rounds left.
Tenerife rallied to draw 1-1 at Malaga on Saturday.
