Barca, Real Madrid notch wins
MADRID, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid beat Espanyol 3-0 to stay in touch with Spanish league leaders Barcelona, who beat Getafe 2-1 despite playing mostly with 10 men yesterday.
Barcelona remain five points clear at the top with 55 points. Real Madrid were second on 50. Third-placed Valencia beat Valladolid 2-0 earlier to reach 42 points.
Sergio Ramos put Real Madrid ahead in the sixth minute in Bernabeu Stadium, heading in Esteban Granero’s pass.
Kaka scored the second in the 29th, sweeping the ball in after Carlos Kameni had saved Raul Gonzalez’s header.
Gonzalo Higuain controlled a long pass to score in the 90th, after going on as a substitute.
“We played well, things are going well for me and for Real Madrid,” said Kaka. “We just have to hope that Barcelona starts dropping points.”
At Camp Nou, Lionel Messi was in scintillating form as he scored and set up another goal. Messi’s 16th league goal of the season came in the sixth, curling in a shot with his left foot after Yaya Toure set him up from a corner.
In the 67th, Messi dribbled from the halfway line into the goalkeeper’s area before laying the ball on for Xavi Hernandez to score.
After Rafael Marquez was sent off for bringing down Kepa Blanco, Roberto Soldado scored for Getafe with an injury-time penalty.
“It was an unusual game, we were a man down from the first half onward,” said Barcelona’s Gabriel Milito. “But we’re happy with the result, despite the penalty at the end.”
Messi nearly scored again in the 16th when he managed to control the ball yet could manage only a weak shot.
Two minutes later he threatened again after swapping passes with Maxwell and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although goalkeeper Jordi Codina got a foot to his strike.
With the goal lead and control of possession, Barcelona looked comfortable. However, the champions suffered a setback in the 25th when defender Gerard Pique was ejected for a late tackle on Getafe’s Rafael Lopez. Xavi Hernandez was booked for dissent after a lengthy protest by Barcelona’s players.
Today it’s Athletic Bilbao vs Xerez; Malaga vs Deportivo La Coruna; Osasuna vs Tenerife; Mallorca vs Villarreal; Zaragoza vs Sevilla; Almeria vs Sporting Gijon; and Racing Santander vs Atletico Madrid.
