Spain
MADRID, Spain – Dutchmen Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wesley Sneijder scored a goal each Sunday to lead Real Madrid over Osasuna 2-0 and re-establish its four-point lead at the top of Spain.
Van Nistelrooy found himself alone in front of goal in the 16th minute to easily power Sneijder’s free kick into the top of the net. Sneijder capped a play sparked by Brazilian Robinho inside the Madrid half by curling a right-footed shot beyond the outstretched Ricardo Lopez in the 76th.
The victory guaranteed that Madrid, which has 38 points, will go into the two-week winter break as league leader regardless of the result of next Sunday’s match at FC Barcelona.
On Saturday, Barcelona beat Valencia 3-0, but lost Argentine star Lionel Messi to injury, with the forward definitely out of the match against Madrid. Messi scored a hat trick when the team’s last met in March, a 3-3 draw.
Madrid coach Bernd Schuster fielded an unchanged squad to the one that overran Lazio 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League.
Osasuna midfielder Jaroslav Plasic caused concern with his free kicks early, curling one wide before Miguel Flano headed long in the 13th as the visitors started confidently.
But a lapse in the defence saw Van Nistelrooy score his eighth goal to start the Santiago Bernabeu stadium’s 60th anniversary well.
Flano headed another Plasic curler wide in the 24th, while Van Nistelrooy tested Ricardo Lopez from long range in the 30th.
After two near misses, Robinho capped a darting run in the 59th with a hard shot that Ricardo pushed wide.
Robinho was the catalyst for the second goal, dribbling around three players to set substitute Jose Maria “Guti” Gutierrez off. The Madrid midfielder then Van Nistelrooy, who dished off to his Netherlands teammate.
Earlier Sunday, Nihat Kahveci scored two goals as Villarreal snapped a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Getafe.
Nihat beat goalkeeper Oscar Ustari with a shot inside the far post after a pass from Robert Pires in the 16th minute. Pires again set up Nihat in the 79th for his second goal at the near post.
Santiago Cazorla scored the third for Villarreal in the 84th, two minutes before Kepa Blanco’s consolation goal.
Villarreal, which had trailed leader Madrid by only one single point before a three-game winless streak, has 31 points.
Atletico Madrid, which drew 0-0 at Recreativo Huelva, also has 31 points.
Recreativo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino punched away substitute Luis Garcia’s hard volley from the edge of the area in the 85th to preserve the draw.
Also Sunday, it was Real Betis 3, Almeria 1; Murcia 2, Racing Santander 1; Deportivo La Coruna 1, Zaragoza 1; Valladolid 0, Sevilla 0; and, Mallorca 0, Athletic Bilbao 0.
Betis’ Mariano Pavone scored in the 51st and added another goal in the 82nd against nine-man Almeria.
Almeria’s Alvaro Negredo scored first with a penalty kick in the 10th. Edu Schmidt equalized with another penalty in the 30th against goalkeeper Diego Alves, who replaced the red-carded David Cobeno.
Six red cards were produced in scrappy 16th round of league play.
Fernando Baiano’s penalty in the 84th saw Murcia through. Euzebiusz Smolarek headed home a corner in the 63rd for Santander after Henok Goitom opened for Murcia in the 57th.
Deportivo’s Fabricio Coloccini headed home a flick-on in the 53rd after Diego Milito scored with a deflected shot in the 17th.
Morgan De Sanctis, replacing the injured Andres Palop in goal, made a handful of saves to give nine-man Sevilla a point at Valladolid.
On Saturday, Espanyol beat last-place Levante 1-0 to stay fifth with 30 points.
Next weekend’s matches are the last before the winter break.
Source: SPA: Villarreal downs Getafe
