Six-goal Real Madrid hand Barcelona winter warning

Tim Hanlon

Real Madrid sent out a message of intent to all-conquering champions Barcelona with a 6-0 demolition of Real Zaragoza on Saturday.

While Barcelona were away in Abu Dhabi winning the Club World Cup, their sixth trophy this year, Real closed the gap at the top of La Liga to just two points after tearing apart sorry Zaragoza.

It was always going to be a tough challenge for Zaragoza’s caretaker coach Jose Gay who took charge this week and it quickly turned into a nightmare with Gonzalo Higuain scoring after just three minutes.

A double for Rafael Van der Vaart then followed and Higuain volleyed in a delightful shot still before half time.

Cristiano Ronaldo, returning after a one-match ban, teased the Zaragoza defence before adding the fifth and substitute Karim Benzema wrapped up the scoring with 20 minutes to go against the side which has conceded most goals in the Spanish top flight.

“The aim at the start was for the team to be solid in defence and then score as many goals as we could in attack and so we can be very happy at the way it has worked out,” said the Real coach Manuel Pellegrini.

“We can ask for more and for the team to be more consistent. Against Zaragoza we played an impressive 90 minutes and we need to be like that more often although in recent matches we have shown we are going in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, Gay feels his main job now is to help the Zaragoza players rediscover their confidence.

“It was obvious that the mood among them was very low and so the worst that could have happened was to concede a goal right at the start,” said Gay whose team remain in the relegation zone.

“After that we were not able to bounce back but while the players are disappointed our league starts after the winter break on the third (of January).

“My position at the moment is only short term but I have to look ahead and to raise the players’ morale as the team is a lot better than it is showing.”

Sevilla’s disappointing home form cost them further points as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat by Getafe.

A brace from Roberto Soldado led the visitors to victory and it means that Sevilla have now failed to win in three attempts at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Soldado slipped the ball through the keeper’s legs to give Getafe the lead after 12 minutes and then later capitalised on a defensive mix-up to score into an empty net.

Substitute Alvaro Negredo reduced the deficit at the start of the second half and despite Sevilla battling hard in the final stages for an equaliser, Getafe hung on.

“We cannot afford to lose so many points at home and we need to become more solid in defence.

We lost our concentration too often and we made it too easy for Getafe,” said Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez whose side are nine points behind Barcelona.

Athletic Bilbao had a comfortable 2-0 win over Osasuna thanks to early goals from Fran Yeste and Fernando Llorente.

A below strength Osasuna side were a goal down after just a minute when Yeste knocked the ball home from close range after being set up by Llorente.

Osasuna offered little in response and it was Llorente himself who added a second after 12 minutes with a clinical drive from the edge of the area.

Athletic took their foot off the pedal in the second half and eased to a victory which puts them up to sixth place in the table.

MADRID, Sunday AFP