Real boss Zinedine Zidane had confirmed Ronaldo and Bale were out with minor fitness problems, and one of their replacements, Rodriguez, opened the scoring just before the break.
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In what was nearly a complete re-enactment of Manchester United’s win over Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon back in 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late free-kick to salvage the game for Real Madrid against his boyhood club.
A wonder strike from 60 yards by Nicola Sansone steered Villarreal to a 2-1 win over 10-man Real Sociedad at El Madrigal. The goalkeeper frantically raced back to try to stop the ball but couldn’t reach it as it went over his head.
Italian Sansone had also given the hosts the lead three minutes earlier from inside the box after the Brazilian former Chelsea striker Alexandre Pato had missed a penalty.
“He has a lot of resources”, Villarreal coach Fran Escriba said of Sansone.
The goal from Ronaldo was made all the sweeter, as minutes later, and with just seconds remaining on the clock, Alvaro Morata struck to seal a dramatic win for the Spanish giants. Real Sociedad, which scored with Yuri Berchiche in the 35th, is 13th.
Benzema then sealed the points 71st minute, steering in Lucas Vázquez’s low cross at the near post to give Real 12 points from their first four games this season.
Veteran striker Aduriz equalized with a header in the 24th and scored the victor with a right-footed shot from inside the area the 41st.
“We’ve had little time to prepare for the match, but we are prepared”, he said.
“We have to keep working hard and the victories will come, we haven’t been playing badly”, Valencia defender Martin Montoya said. “We know that our team is capable of improving and getting the results that we deserve”.
Valencia is the last team other than Barcelona, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid to win the league title. Ronaldo and Co are once again the favourites to lift the trophy at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff next year among the football bookmakers, and for those of you looking to back someone else in the betting odds, bear in mind Madrid’s history beforehand.
Celta Vigo collected their first point of the La Liga season but will be wondering how they ended up drawing 0-0 at Osasuna.
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Osasuna, which had lost two in a row, is in 18th place with two points.
