Real Madrid Kembali Perkasa di Klasemen La Liga, Tekuk Espanyol 3-0
Gareth Bale Stars to Get 10-men Los Blancos Back in Business
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
Madrid (B2B) - Real Madrid kembali ke jalur kemenangan setelah mengalahkan Espanyol 3-0 dalam lanjutan Liga Spanyol, Sabtu malam. Dengan kemenangan ini Madrid perkasa di klasemen dengan 42 poin dalam 17 pertandingan. Sementara Espanyol tetap 20 poin.
Bermain dengan sepuluh orang pemain sejak menit 53 tak membuat kendor dalam menyerang. Madrid kembali ke jalur kemenangan setelah mengalami kekalahan dari Atletico Madrid di Copa del Rey dan Valencia, (4/1).
Gol dicetak oleh James Rodriguez menit 12, Gareth Bale menit 28, dan Nacho menit 76.
Menit sepuluh James melayangkan tendangan bebas ke kotak penalti dan Colotton membersihkannya. Kemudian Benzema mengambil bola dan menembakkan tendangan voli ke arah gawang, tetapi membentur mistar.
Dua menit kemudian Los Blancos memimpin lewat Rodriguez. Berawal dari kerja sama Bale dan Ronaldo melewati pemain bertahan Espanyol. Kemudian bola dioper ke James yang tendangannya tak bisa dihentikan Casilla. Madrid 1-0 Espanyol.
Menit 20 Bale menggandakan keunggulan Madrid dengan tendangan bebas. Real Madrid 2-0 Espanyol.
Menit 53 Fabio Coentrao diusir keluar karena mendapatkan kartu merah langsung dari wasit.
Menit 56 Espanyol meminta penalti ketika Isco menyentuh bola dengan tangan. Namun, tak diberikan wasit.
Kehilangan satu orang pemain tak menyurutkan serangan Madrid. Karena menit 76 Nacho Fernandez buat Madrid unggul 3-0 setelah menerima umpan silang dari Arbeloa.
Menit 80 Bale mengumpani Ronaldo yang kemudian diberikan ke Isco. Namun, tendangan Isco bisa diblok Casilla, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Madrid - Spanish football giants Real Madrid got back to winning ways to pile the pressure on title rivals, FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, ahead of their Sunday showdown, when they cruised to a 3-0 home win against Espanyol in a La Liga match here.
No side have lost to Real Madrid as many times as Espanyol and the match stayed true to the norm Saturday. James Rodriguez put Real in front, finishing off a move involving forwards Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 12th minute.
Bale doubled Madrid's lead with a magnificent free-kick after 28 minutes and defender Nacho Fernandez scored his first ever goal for the club to seal the win 16 minutes from time.
Defender Fabio Coentrao was harshly sent off just five minutes in the second half, but Espanyol were unable to exploit the fact their rivals played for 40 minutes with just 10 men.
Valencia, who beat Real Madrid a week ago, witnessed its goalkeeper Diego Alves save a penalty from Celta Vigo winger Fabio Orellana but was held to a 1-1 draw.
Rodrigo opened the scoring for Valencia following a terrible error from Celta keeper, Sergio Alvarez.
Celta went into the game after failing to score in their last six league matches, but Orellana finally ended the drought in the second half, marking a 727-minute lull.
Meanwhile, hosts Malaga and Villarreal drew 1-1 at the La Rosaleda Stadium. Jonathan Dos Santos opened the scoring for the visitors in first half injury time, but his goal was cancelled out by Amrabat 15 minutes after the break.
Friday saw the 18th round of matches kick off with a tedious 0-0 draw between Levante and Deportivo la Coruna.
