Real Madrid continue their reign in La Liga and maintain gap with Barcelona after picking up another victory on the road as they defeated Rayo Vallecano with a single goal from their Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo.
It was an important victory indeed as it wasn’t achieved in an easy way since the home team put on an excellent effort to trouble the league leader, who were aiming to keep their 10 points lead over their Catalan rival in place.
Playing in a difficult pitch once again troubled Madrid players especially with their opponent looking very motivated right from the kick off, forcing the visitor not being able to play their usual dominating performance. Both teams were pretty much using the long balls more often, something which isn’t really common for the Galacticos, who usually plays more ball to the ground with the addition of individual brilliance from their attacking minded players.
The two teams had their chances in the first half but neither managed to put the ball in the net, ending the first period with a goalless draw. Madrid tried to pushed up more in the second period and their effort eventually paid off around the 54th minute when Ozil’s corner found Ronaldo, who ridiculously back heeled the ball to score his 29th league goal of the season in some fashion.
Ronaldo’s goal made things lot more easier for Madrid as Vallecano began to push up even more, leaving much spaces for the visitor players to exploit especially from the counter attack. However, Los Galacticos’ failure in finishing off their opponent on the counter simply troubled them in the last 5-10 minutes, when the home team kept on plugging in search of the equalizing goal, causing some nervousness in the Los Blancos’ back line.
Eventually, Madrid managed to hold on for the important victory, bringing a sigh of relief for Mourinho, who can continue to feel calm knowing that their 10 points lead is still being preserved. Grabbing a difficult result could very well be one of the most important points which will help their course in winning the La Liga this season, something which would be considered a feat for Los Blancos as they can finish above their fierce rival.
photo credit: digitalrob70