The Hindu : Sport / Football : Real Madrid overwhelms Santander

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Monday, May 09, 2005

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Sport - Football

Real Madrid overwhelms Santander

MADRID: Ronaldo and Raul Gonzalez scored two goals each to help Real Madrid beat Racing Santander 5-0 and improve its chances of catching FC Barcelona in the Spanish league title race.

The victory at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday moved Real within three points of the leader, which needs to win against defending champion Valencia to double its advantage.

Ronaldo, who has scored eight goals in his last five matches, has 20 for the season, two less than league-leader Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona. Michael Owen scored Real's first goal, and his 12th of the season, to put it on course to a seventh straight victory.

``We did our work very well. Now we have to wait for Valencia and Barcelona. My team played excellently. Santander tried but we played a perfect game,'' Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo was quoted as saying.

Luxemburgo said Raul's display was the best since the Brazilian coach arrived at the club last December.

``He ran, scored, helped Zidane and Beckham, and did a huge amount of work. He played a great game. His concentration was vital.''

Elsewhere, Ricardo Oliveira scored his 19th goal of the season as Real Betis edged crosstown rival Sevilla 1-0 to move into fourth place.

Athletic Bilbao beat Zaragoza 2-0 and Osasuna drew 1-1 with Mallorca.

Barcelona leads the league with 78 points and four games left, while Real Madrid has 75 with three games remaining. Sevilla stayed third with 58, three more than Betis and Villarreal.

Luxemburgo again omitted Luis Figo in favour of Owen. The Portuguese midfielder hasn't made the starting line-up for the last five games. Owen justified his selection in the 29th minute, turning home Ronaldo's low cross from the goalline after the Brazilian had received the ball from Raul's spooned pass.

Raul then produced a similar through ball to Ronaldo, leading the Brazil striker to be felled by Santander goalkeeper Dudu Aouate in the penalty area. Ronaldo then fired home the resulting spot kick in the 36th minute.

Raul side-footed Madrid's third goal in the 54th after Aouate had failed to hold a low cross from the left by Roberto Carlos.

The Real captain then fired home from the edge of the area 18 minutes later off Owen's pass, while Ronaldo scored his second goal in injury time after racing on to a pass from Figo, who went in with 15 minutes remaining.

Oliveira scores winner

Betis' top scorer Oliveira's seventh-minute goal decided a characteristically fraught local derby, in which nine players were yellow carded. The Brazilian, lurking on the edge of the penalty area, sent a low shot home past Sevilla goalkeeper Antonio Notario to end his team's five-game winless streak and boost its hopes of a European appearance next season.

Bilbao striker Ismael Urzaiz took his season's tally to 12 against Zaragoza and improved his team's chances of earning a spot in next season's UEFA Cup.

Urzaiz, who signed a new contract with the Basque club this week, celebrated by firing a rising shot from inside the penalty area after receiving a pass by Spain international Joseba Etxeberria in the 55th minute.

Defender Jesus Mari Lacruz added Bilbao's second goal from close range in the 83rd minute when he turned home Fran Yeste's free-kick from the right.

Bilbao, which has 51 points, leapfrogged Zaragoza into eighth place. Zaragoza is ninth with 49. Both teams have three matches to play.

Mallorca, with 32 points, is now three points behind No. 17 Levante.

The results: Spanish league (35th round): Osasuna drew with Mallorca 1-1, Athletic Bilbao bt Zaragoza 2-0, Real Madrid bt Racing Santander 5-0, Real Betis bt Sevilla 1-0. — AP

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