Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid cruised up to second in the Spanish Liga yesterday with a bittersweet 5-1 home slaughter of lowly Sporting Gijon.
Los Merengues turned on the style in a one-sided first half, with two goals apiece from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema after Gareth Bale had given them an early lead. It was the much-vaunted ‘BBC’ strike force at their lethal best.
However, Bale limped off with an injury in his right calf and Benzema soon followed him with a sprained right ankle. These injuries took away Real’s rhythm and Gijon—who are second bottom—scored a consolation goal through Isma Lopez.
Real are now just one point below leaders Atletico Madrid, who were to visit Las Palmas.
One point below Real, with two games in hand, are a Barcelona side that will host Athletic Bilbao.
Earlier yesterday, Gary Neville’s poor start at Valencia continued with a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to lowly Rayo Vallecano. Los Ches needed a late equalizer from Spain striker Paco Alcacer to salvage a point from a game that had gone sour on them.
“This is what football is like. I don’t have a magic wand,” Neville said, after his troubled team were booed off by the long-suffering fans in Mestalla.
Neville is still without a win in six Spanish top flight games in charge since taking over from the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo last month and Valencia are stuck down in 10th place after four draws and two defeats during the former Manchester United and England defender’s tenure.
The ambitious Singapore-owned club are in danger of missing out on a berth in continental competition for 2016-17 and are eight points adrift of the European places with just over half the season played.
“It’s hard to explain what happened in the first half, it was a very disappointing performance,” Neville told a news conference after Valencia twice had to come from behind to rescue a point at the Mestalla.
“In football you have to win and enjoy yourself and we didn’t show any of that,” added the 40-year-old. “We have to correct this immediately.”
Valencia, who last won La Liga in 2004 under Rafa Benitez, are struggling in their domestic league but still have a chance of silverware in the Europa League and the King’s Cup.
They play Las Palmas home and away in the quarter-finals of the Spanish Cup this month and the first leg of their Europa League tie against Rapid Vienna is at the Mestalla on Feb. 18.
Neville, whose contract runs until the end of the season, said there were two positives from yesterday’s setback, which prompted whistling from disgruntled home fans.
“Our response in the second half and the fact that the players showed a will to fight,” he said. “I have confidence in the work that we are undertaking and I agree that the results aren’t what we had hoped for.”