Real back on summit after superb comeback
The result lifted the defending champions two points clear of second- placed Valencia who crushed Malaga 6-1 on Saturday. Valladolid, anxious to erase the memory of their humiliating 7-2 thrashing when they met Real at the Bernabeu earlier this season, started strongly at Zorrilla.
The home side were rewarded with the lead in the 34th minute when Oscar clipped the ball past the outstretched Real keeper Iker Casillas.
Eight minutes later former Real Madrid keeper Albano Bizzarri hoisted the ball upfield to Sales on the right, the midfielder swept a cross toward the area and Oscar got ahead of defender Michel Salgado to head past Casillas for his second goal.
The champions pulled a goal back four minutes into the second half when Ronaldo diverted a Zinedine Zidane shot into the net from close range. Real drew level 13 minutes later when Figo scored from the penalty spot after defender Juan Manuel Pena was adjudged to have handled in the area.
In a frantic finish both sides had a chance to snatch victory but it was Ronaldo who once again demonstrated his lethal finishing to earn his side the win. Picking up the ball just inside the area after a slick interchange of passes between Guti and Zidane, the Brazilian turned sharply and cracked a low shot past Bizzarri to take his tally for the season to a league-leading 18.
In Sunday’s other early games, a rejuvenated Real Sociedad chalked up their fifth victory on the trot with a 1-0 win at home to Racing Santander that pushed them up to ninth place.
On Saturday, Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira grabbed his second hat-trick of the season as Valencia made a spectacular return to form with a 6-1 win at Malaga.
Valencia got off to a flying start at La Rosaleda when they went 2-0 up inside 15 minutes, Mista heading in low at the near post after a fine cross from Oliveira who then scored with a quick shot.
Things went from bad to worse for Malaga when goalkeeper Francesc
Arnau was dismissed 10 minutes later for handling the ball outside the area.
Valencia took full advantage four minutes after the break when defender Carlos Marchena pounced on a poor clearance to score a rare goal from the edge of the area.
Oliveira then weighed in with two excellent headers in the 59th and 66th minutes to complete his hat-trick, both goals coming after good work by Xisco on the left flank.
Spain midfielder David Albelda completed the rout on 72 minutes when he guided the ball home after picking up the rebound from his own shot.
European champions AC Milan moved five points clear at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win at Bologna.
Andriy Shevchenko’s 16th goal of the season and a late strike from
substitute Jon Dahl Tomasson secured Milan’s sixth straight league win.
A 10th-minute goal from Mauro Camoranesi gave champions Juventus a 1-0 win over Chievo, sending Marcello Lippi’s side level with AS Roma in second place on 43 points.
AS Roma’s title hopes suffered a setback on Saturday with a surprise 1-0 defeat at Brescia, leaving Serie A leaders AC Milan with the chance to open up a five-point lead.
A 42nd minute Jonathan Bachini penalty gave Brescia, without the injured Roberto Baggio, victory over Fabio Capello’s side in a scrappy game at the Rigamonti stadium.
Bachini converted the spot kick after Roma defender Walter Samuel had pulled down striker Simone Del Nero inside the area.
“It certainly is a difficult moment for us as the results show,” Capello said.
“I thought this result was hard on us but a team like Roma has to be able to react to a situation like this. We haven’t to start thinking about Milan but ourselves. We didn’t take the chances that came our way and didn’t produce a top performance,” he said.
Reigning champions Juventus, whose defence has come under heavy criticism having conceded 21 goals this season, shut Chievo out in a 1-0 victory in Turin.
Argentine-born Italian international Mauro Camoranesi scored the only goal of the game in the 10th minute, collecting David Trezeguet’s flicked header before drilling home from close range.
Elsewhere, Lazio and Sampdoria drew 1-1 while in last night’s game
Inter Milan crushed Siena 4-0 at the San Siro.
In Germany champions Bayern Munich fell further off the title pace with a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt meaning the favourites are now six points adrift of Werder Bremen who crushed Hertha Berlin 4-0 with Ailton scoring twice.
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