Ronaldo double extends Real lead over Barcelona

By Daily Sports on November 27, 2016

 Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as Real Madrid were thankful to a late missed penalty from Duje Cop to open up a seven-point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a 2-1 win over Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
Madrid looked set for an easy afternoon as Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot before he headed home a second inside 20 minutes.

However, Carlos Carmona halved Sporting’s deficit 10 minutes before half-time and the struggling visitors were handed a huge chance for an unexpected point 12 minutes from time when Nacho brought down Victor Rodriguez.

Yet, Cop sent his penalty high and wide as Real held on amidst a torrential downpour to extend their unbeaten run to 31 games in all competitions.

Barca can cut the gap back to four points when they travel to Real Sociedad on Sunday ahead of the first Clasico of the season between Spanish football’s two giants at the Camp Nou next weekend.

“It is a game for us to forget because things didn’t go as we would have liked,” said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

“We lacked a little bit of everything, but we are happy to get the three points which is the most important thing.”

Fresh from netting a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid last weekend, Ronaldo continued his return to scoring form with a quickfire double to move ahead of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez as La Liga’s top scorer.

Sporting had the first big chance to go in front when Carmona fired wide with just goalkeeper Keylor Navas to beat.

However, they were quickly behind when Lucas Vazquez was naively chopped down by Sergio Alvarez on five minutes and Ronaldo emphatically converted the resulting spot-kick.

The Portuguese’s second finish was even more impressive as he buried Nacho’s cross from the left with a powerful header that left Diego Marino no chance in the Sporting goal.

In between times Ronaldo had also headed wastefully wide when unmarked from a corner, while Marino parried another fierce effort as the three-time World Player of the Year chased his 40th hat-trick for Madrid.
Instead, it was Sporting who halved the arrears before half-time when a rare misplaced pass from Luka Modric allowed Isma Lopez to cross from the left and Carmona’s outstretched leg prodded the ball past Navas.

In deteriorating conditions caused by the torrential rain, Madrid struggled to get going after the break.

Zidane withdrew captain Sergio Ramos with an eye on the Clasico against Barcelona next Saturday with the Spanish international a yellow card away from missing that game through suspension.

However, that decision nearly backfired as Nacho moved into central defence and quickly brought down Sporting substitute Victor Rodriguez inside the area.

Cop pardoned Nacho’s mistake, though, as the Croatian lent back and sent the ball well wide of Navas’s goal much to the relief of thousands inside the Bernabeu.

Ronaldo should have completed his hat-trick late on as he broke clear on goal, but his low shot was too close to Marino as Real had to see out a nervy final few minutes to secure a sixth straight La Liga win.

A 10th straight game without a win leaves Sporting still rooted in the bottom three. AFP

•Photo shows Cristiano Ronaldo.

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 27, 2016


 

You may also like...
Grassroots clubs feel the heat as FA Cup...

LaLiga Deal With CVC Capital ‘Illegal’ — Spanish...

Ghana 0-0 Nigeria: World Cup play-off in the...

Salah Praised After Stopping Abuse Of Homeless Man...

Huge blow for Arsenal as Bellerin ruled out...

Eguma pleased with Spain education

 

Latest News CAF Award: Hedriel congratulates Lookman, says his award will inspire him to work harder Managers deserve 'more respect' - Postecoglou Man City's Dias ruled out for 'three or four weeks' I put him in retirement, Dubois mocks Joshua EPL: Man Utd’s Mount out for weeks as injury struggles persist Fury, Usyk talk tough ahead rematch Carragher urges Rashford to move on from Man United Fury and Usyk in astonishing 11-minute face-off Liverpool draw Tottenham in EFL Cup semi-finals LeBron James sets new NBA record in Lakers win Lookman’s market value hits €55m FIFA rankings: Eagles end 2024 in 44th place

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,208 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,351 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,408 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,052 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,989 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,952 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,788 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,355 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,426 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,094 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,542 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,974 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media