Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain each scored twice as Real
Madrid beat Getafe 4-2 to return to the top of the Spanish league
on Thursday.
With Barcelona on 71 points after its 2-0 win against Osasuna
on Wednesday, Madrid needed a win to go top on goal difference and
it delivered a stunning first-half performance.
"Real Madrid will never have another game as easy as the one
we've just given them," Getafe goalkeeper Oscar Ustari said.
Ronaldo put Madrid ahead by curling a free kick into the top
right-hand corner in the 13th minute from the edge of the area.
In the 20th, Higuain ran on to Rafael Van der Vaart's pass
and fired a low shot past Ustari. Three minutes later, the
Argentina striker received Fernando Gago's long through pass and
rounded Ustari for his 22nd league goal of the season.
Ronaldo scored the goal of the game and his 17th of the
season in the 37th, dribbling down the right and blasting the ball
into the far corner from a tight angle.
Getafe's Daniel Parejo responded a minute later by sweeping
the ball in after goalkeeper Iker Casillas had run out of the area
to clear. An enraged Casillas claimed he was injured by a Getafe
player just before the goal, although he remained on the field for
the full 90 minutes.
"That goal seemed very disloyal to me," said coach Manuel
Pellegrini of former Madrid youth team player Parejo. "I don't
think anyone is happy about that goal. I hope my team wouldn't do
the same. Casillas took a knock to his ankle that has to be looked
at."
Pedro Leon cut the deficit further in the 79th when the ball
rebounded off a defender to his feet and he tapped home.
"We're going to fight for the league title right to the end,"
said Higuain. "We've just got to keep playing like this."
Also, Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0.
Atletico climbs to eighth on 37 points and Bilbao is sixth on
42 points.
Real Madrid pressured from the start in wet conditions and
looked determined to improve on its record of one win in five
visits to Getafe's Alfonso Perez Stadium.
Xabi Alonso was particularly effective in midfield and Ustari
only just managed to stop his low shot in the seventh.
Ronaldo nearly scored when he cut in from the left and fired
a right-footed shot that Ustari pushed over the bar.
The Getafe 'keeper was tested again when Sergio Ramos charged
in to meet a cross with his head.
Getafe coach Jose Miguel "Michel" Gonzalez, a member of the
great Real Madrid team of the 1980s, replaced Parejo and Jaime
Gavilan with Fabio Celestini and Manuel del Moral at halftime.
Higuain nearly scored his hat trick shortly after the break
when he chipped past a defender and just failed to beat Ustari to
the ball.
However, with Madrid pressuring less in the second half,
Getafe started to create chances. Nicolas "Miku" Ladislao fired
over in the 59th and Leon shot wide a minute later, before drawing
a save from Casillas with a long-range effort.
Raul Gonzalez came on for Van der Vaart in the 67th and Jose
Maria "Guti" Gutierrez replaced Higuain 10 minutes from the end.
Coach Michel's frustration showed when he was sent off from
the dugout in injury time for dissent.
At Atletico's Calderon Stadium, Diego Forlan scored his 11th
goal against Bilbao when he struck Juan Valera's low cross first
time in the 53rd against the run of play.
Sergio Aguero made it 2-0 when he stopped the ball dead
inside the area and coolly shot past goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz in
the 86th.
Bilbao dominated early on with Aguero and Forlan struggling
to link with the midfield.
Fernando Llorente came close twice for the visitors, drawing
a fine save from David de Gea and then striking the crossbar.
Jose Manuel Jurado responded with a rare chance for Atletico
by shooting high.
With the one-goal advantage, Atletico started to attack more
often. Aguero nearly found Forlan at the far post with a perfectly
placed chip but defender Andoni Iraola intercepted the ball.
Iraizoz then tipped Aguero's powerful header over the bar.
Iker Muniain came on for Igor Gabilondo in the 74th as Bilbao
pushed for the equalizer.
Atletico bolstered its defense with Ignacio Camacho replacing
Forlan before Eduardo Salvio came on for Jose Antonio Reyes.
In other games this week, it was: Sporting Gijon 2, Deportivo
La Coruna 1; Sevilla 1, Xerez 1; Almeria 1, Zaragoza 0; Tenerife 2,
Villarreal 2; Valladolid 0, Espanyol 0; Racing Santander 0,
Mallorca 0; and Valencia 1, Malaga 0.
