Ronaldo at the double for Real, Valencia edge out Celta

MADRID (Reuters): Valencia kept the pressure on Liga leaders Barcelona by beating Celta Vigo 2-1 on Saturday with a late penalty from Dani Parejo and Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for the first time in a league game this season as Real Madrid thrashed Sevilla 5-0.

Valencia were looking for a first win in three games to revive their unlikely title bid and took the lead through a header from top scorer Simone Zaza in the 28th minute, the Italian’s 10th league goal of the season.

Valencia kept the pressure on Liga leaders Barcelona by beating Celta Vigo 2-1 on Saturday with a late penalty from Dani Parejo and Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for the first time in a league game this season as Real Madrid thrashed Sevilla 5-0. (AFP photo)

Iago Aspas stabbed in from close range in the 46th minute to equalise for Celta, who had held Barca to a 2-2 draw last weekend, but Parejo restored Valencia’s lead nine minutes from time with a double stroke of fortune as his disputed penalty went through the hands of goalkeeper Ruben Blanco.

Valencia are second in the standings, moving two points behind Barcelona who have 36 and visit Villarreal on Sunday. Real go third on 31 but Atletico Madrid can go back above Zinedine Zidane’s side when they visit Real Betis on Sunday.

Celta’s players raged against referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero for awarding Valencia the penalty when Jose Gaya went to ground following a challenge by Pablo Hernandez.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS 

In Madrid, Real overcame a selection crisis in defence to crush Sevilla with a lethal attacking display, scoring all their goals before halftime.

Real were without Raphael Varane, captain Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal and holding midfielder Casemiro but got off to an ideal start when Nacho Fernandez cashed in on a woeful attempted clearance following a corner to score in the third minute.

Ronaldo, who had paraded his joint-record five Ballon d’Or trophies on the Santiago Bernabeu pitch before kick-off, side-footed home a through ball from Marco Asensio to score the second before thumping in the third from the penalty spot.

Toni Kroos scored the most impressive goal of the game by charging forward from his own half and playing a wall pass with Lucas Vazquez before stroking the ball beyond Rico, while 18-year-old Achraf Hakimi notched his first goal for Real to complete another lethal breakaway.

Inter survive Juve test to remain top of Serie A

Serie A - Juventus vs Inter Milan – Reuters

MILAN (Reuters) - Inter Milan stayed top of Serie A and unbeaten after 16 games after surviving their toughest test of the season by holding champions Juventus to a 0-0 draw in Turin on Saturday.

Juve created more chances, but were foiled by Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic or their own poor finishing in a Derby d‘Italia that was always intriguing but never quite caught fire.

Cagliari survived a freak sequence of first-half injuries to draw 2-2 at home to Sampdoria, helped by an extraordinary goal where Samp goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano’s clearance hit Diego Farias and flew into the net.

Inter lead the standings with 40 points from 16 games, two ahead of Napoli, who host Fiorentina on Sunday, and Juventus.

Juve, who ended Napoli’s unbeaten start with a 1-0 away win one week ago, completed their fifth game without conceding a goal in all competitions and failed to score for the first time in 45 Serie A matches - a run stretching back to October last year.