MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo rounded off a week where he was named world player of the year for the third time scoring a double as Real Madrid moved four points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a 3-0 win away to Getafe on Sunday.

Real started slowly three days after their defence of the Copa del Rey title was ended by Atletico Madrid, but their talented attack eventually came through when Ronaldo broke the deadlock on a chilly afternoon at the Coliseum in the 63rd minute, clipping the ball in from close range after excellent work from Karim Benzema.

Gareth Bale made it 2-0 four minutes later when he finished off a swift break and Ronaldo grabbed his second 11 minutes from time with a powerful header, the Portugal forward’s 28th goal of the campaign in his 17th appearance.

Real have 45 points from 18 matches, with Barca on 41. Valencia and champions Atletico, who host bottom side Granada on Sunday, are level on 38 points, with Valencia provisionally ahead on goal difference after Saturday’s 3-2 win at home to Almeria courtesy Alvaro Negredo’s late winner.

Former Manchester City striker Negredo came off the bench struck with a header seven minutes from time against his former club.

The hosts went in front twice in the first-half through captain Dani Parejo and Rodrigo, but on both occasions the lead lasted barely a few minutes as Tomer Hemed’s double sent the sides in level at half-time.

However, Almeria couldn’t respond after Negredo powered home Jose Gaya’s cross seven minutes from time to secure all three points.

Two other matches were decided in the final minutes, as Felipe Caicedo netted in the 89th to snatch Espanyol a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo which moved them up to ninth, while Manucho’s header helped 10th-placed Rayo Vallecano win 1-0 at Real Sociedad.

Sixth-placed Villarreal rubbed salt in Athletic Bilbao’s wounds when they beat them 2-0 at the Madrigal, the struggling Basque side’s fifth defeat in their last six matches.

Russia forward Denis Cheryshev opened the scoring three minutes before half-time when he rounded goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz and crashed an angled shot high into the empty net before captain Bruno Soriano netted an 83rd-minute penalty as Villarreal moved to 35 points.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2015

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