Real Madrid 5 - Racing
Santander 0
Madrid: Casillas;
Michel Salgado, Iván Helguera (Pavón 46'), Samuel, Roberto
Carlos; Beckham (Guti 73'), Gravesen, Zidane (Figo 74'); Raúl; Owen,
Ronaldo. 4-3-1-2. Racing: Dudu Aouate; Moratón, Oriol,
Bertín; Regragui, Anderson Silva, Ayoze; Morán, Benayoun
(Jonathan 74'), Regueiro (Arizmendi 69'); Javi Guerrero (Aganzo 69'). 3-3-3-1.
Team changes: Madrid: Michel
Salgado, Samuel, Zidane for Celades, Pavón, Solari / Racing: Anderson
Silva for Torrado.
Goals: 1-0. 28. Owen.
Poked ball past Aouate after Ronaldo crossed in from left. 2-0. 36. Ronaldo
(penalty). After Aouate ruled to have pushed Ronaldo in area. 3-0. 53.
Raúl. Drove shot past keeper after defence cleared Roberto Carlos cross.
4-0. 72. Raúl. Got on the end of Owen's square pass to shoot wide of
keeper. 5-0. 91. Ronaldo. Ran through on to Figo pass to round keeper and
score.
Once again Real Madrid put
the pressure back on leaders Barcelona after beating Racing Santander 5-0.
Luxemburgo's side moved to within three points of the Catalans in the league
pending their match at Valencia on Sunday with a seventh straight win in a row.
Madrid were on top right
from the start, Dudu Aouate having to turn a shot from Raúl over the bar
in the opening minutes and Zidane putting a free kick just wide. The visitors
did test Casillas a couple of times with efforts from Javi Guerrero and
Morán, but with just under half an hour on the clock Raúl found
Ronaldo with a perfectly timed lifted pass for the Brazilian forward to set up
Owen for the opening goal.
A few minutes later the
hosts were two up, Ronaldo converting a hotly disputed penalty after referee
Iturralde González ruled that the Brazilian striker had been fouled by
the keeper as they both went for a loose ball. It was 100th goal in the Spanish
league including his time with Barcelona. And it could have been more by the
break, Zidane shooting just wide and Owen having another effort saved by the
keeper.
Racing came out strongly
after the restart, and for a few minutes it looked like they might get one
back. But Roberto Carlos got away down the left wing, and when Aouate and
Bertín failed to clear his cross properly, Raúl took advantage to
drill a shot into the back of the net. Regueiro came close to scoring for the
locals three minutes later when he curled a free kick against the crossbar, but
Ronaldo should have extended the lead when he took a return pass from Owen and
rounded the keeper only to mis-hit his shot with the goal gaping in front of
him.
The onslaught continued
though, and with twenty minutes to go Beckham and Owen combined down the right
wing to set up Raúl for him to score his second of the night, and his
250th in a Real Madrid shirt. Substitute Aganzo tried his luck with an overhead
kick and Morán shot wide as the locals relaxed, but with the game coming
to a close Ronaldo ran on to Figo's pass to round Aouate and finish off the
scoreline, taking him to within two goals of leading scorer Eto'o. All eyes are
on Mestalla. |