Cristiano Ronaldo's last-minute header gave Real Madrid a 3-2
victory against Osasuna on Sunday to keep it within one point of
Spanish leader Barcelona with three games to play.
Ronaldo leapt at the far post to meet Gonzalo Higuain's
floated cross for his second goal of the match. The Portugal
forward's 22nd goal of the season kept Madrid just behind its
closest rival Barcelona, which beat Villarreal 4-1 on Saturday.
"If you lose points now, you lose the title," Ronaldo said.
Osasuna twice led at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium as Carlos
Aranda pounced on a defensive mix-up for a seventh-minute opener
that was canceled out in the 25th when Ronaldo finished off a run
with a powerful shot past Ricardo Lopez.
Osasuna went ahead again in the 42nd when Aranda fed
Krisztian Vadocz, who sent a half-volley past goalkeeper Iker
Casillas, but the lead was short-lived as Esteban Granero picked
Marcelo out between two defenders with a long ball to head home in
the 44th.
Barcelona leads with 90 points, while Madrid has 89 from 35
games.
"We're going to fight to the end and make Barcelona win the
championship with 99 points," Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini said.
Mallorca improved its chances of finishing fourth and taking
the last Champions League qualifying place by beating Athletic
Bilbao 3-1.
Mallorca has 59 points, while Sevilla stayed with it at 57
after Alvaro Negredo's two first-half penalties led it to a 3-1 win
over Atletico Madrid. Valencia is third with 65 points.
Ronaldo came to the rescue with an impressive display after
Madrid was in danger of dropping points at the Bernabeu for only
the second time in 18 games, having won all of its matches there
except a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona last month.
"He, as a player, makes a difference and luckily today it was
with us," Pellegrini said.
Raul Albiol's miscued pass back toward Casillas left Aranda
with a perfect opening as he sprinted on to the ball, rounded the
Spain goalkeeper and slotted into the empty net.
Lopez did well to deny Ronaldo and Kaka before the Portugal
star capped a zigzagging run with a skimming shot which went in at
the near post.
Aranda troubled Casillas in the 38th with a header that the
keeper caught but four minutes later Madrid's defense allowed
Aranda to control the ball before lobbing a pass into the area for
Vadocz to beat Casillas with a rising shot.
Both teams had opportunities in the second half but Osasuna
came close to getting the fifth goal as Casillas made a reflex save
from Aranda before watching Vadocz and substitute Masoud Soleimani
botch a 2-on-0 break in the 67th without getting a shot away.
Kaka made way for striker Karim Benzema as Madrid tried to
rediscover its offensive rhythm but Lopez was sharp as he blocked
Marcelo's angled shot in the 78th. He dived to push Ronaldo's shot
from a similar angle out in the 86th before watching the ball fly
past him for the late winner.
"The whole team played badly," Ronaldo said. "We can't allow
a team like Osasuna to score goals and create so much danger. We
have to remember we're playing for the league title and be more
concentrated.
"It can't happen again."
Chori Castro headed Mallorca into the lead at the San Mames
stadium after 43 minutes but Fernando Llorente sent Athletic into
halftime on level terms after heading past goalkeeper Dudu Aouate
for his 14th goal of the season.
But Mallorca scored two quick goals after the restart as Jose
Carlos Nunes volleyed home a finish following a corner two minutes
before former Athletic striker Aritz Aduritz floated a shot over
goalie Gorka Iraizoz in the 51st.
At the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, a fifth-minute corner
trickled through the area to Luis Fabiano for the Brazil striker to
put Sevilla ahead with his 14th of the season. Tiago equalized
three minutes later but Juan Valera's foul on Adriano set up the
13th-minute penalty from Negredo to go ahead for good.
Negredo scored his second spot kick in the 40th, right after
Fabiano came off with an ankle sprain that is likely to sideline
him until the Copa del Rey final against Atletico on May 19.
In Saturday's games, it was: Malaga 1, Sporting Gijon 1;
Valladolid 0, Getafe 0; Tenerife 2, Racing Santander 1; Xerez 2,
Almeria 1; Deportivo La Coruna 0, Zaragoza 1; and Espanyol 0,
Valencia 2.
