Ronaldo Double Keeps Real Top

Ronaldo Double Keeps Real Top

23 January 2012

Real Madrid consolidated their position at the summit of La Liga as they comprehensively outplayed ten-man Athletic Bilbao 4-1 on Sunday night where Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice from the penalty spot.
Athletic Bilbao's two previous visits to the Santiago Bernabeu resulted in 5-1 defeats and after 13 minutes it looked like Marcelo Bielsa's men were going to enjoy better fortune as they took the lead in superb fashion.
A counter-attack stretching the entire pitch started the movement off as goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz rolled the ball out of his area. Javi Martinez then blitzed down the right and whipped a cross into the area which Fernando Llorrente tapped past a hapless Iker Casillas.
Just before the half hour things were level again when Marcelo exchanged a one-two with both Ronaldo and Karim Benzema before providing a cool finish which made it 1-1.
Madrid then should have taken the lead when Benzema headed a Sergio Ramos flick-on off a corner, but he Frenchman's attempt was straight at Iraizoz.
Less than two minutes into the second period Real Madrid were ahead when Kaka was deemed to have been illegally challenged in the area. Ronaldo stepped up to take the resultant penalty and buried it past Iraizoz. The Portuguese international had his second spot-kick of the night just after the hour mark. Mesut Ozil was the man brought down in the area before Benzema found the back of the net, but the referee elected to stop play and give Jose Mourinho's men the penalty which Ronaldo converted. To add insult to injury for the visitors Oscar De Marcos was sent off for his second bookable offence.
Gonzalo Higuain shoud have made it four in the 76th minute after he rounded Iraizoz, but the striker watched his shot bounce back off the post from a tight angle.
The fourth goal did come with four minutes left to play as substitute Jose Callejon collected Higuain's pass in acres of space up the right and expertly slid the ball past Iraizoz.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Granero, Xabi; Ozil, Kaka, Ronaldo; Benzema.
Athletic Bilbao: Iraizoz; Iraola, Javi Martinez, San Jose, Amorebieta; Iturraspe, Herrera, De Marcos; Susaeta, Llorente, Muniain.