MADRID – La Liga leaders Real Madrid cruised to a 4-0 home win over relegation-threatened Celta Vigo to restore their seven-point lead at the top of the table with a dominant display.
Goals from Vinicius Jr and Arda Guler, the 19-year-old’s first for the club, as well own goals from Celta’s Carlos Dominguez and keeper Vicente Guaita sealed the victory for Real.
Real were on top in the first half but were thwarted by some fine saves from Guaita, although he failed to stop the opener when Vinicius fired home from close range in the 21st minute, for his 10th goal of the season.
“I’m very happy, I’m trying to be at my best, it’s a good time of the season with good games and I want to continue like this, hopefully without injuries,” Vinicius said according to Reuters.
“Injuries have cost me a bit this season. I’m trying to help in the best way, changing my game, to be unstoppable, as a winger, as a striker, that way the opponents don’t know how to defend me,” he added.
Real doubled their lead in the 79th when Antonio Rudiger’s thunderous header from a Luka Modric corner hit the bar and found the net after going in off Guaita’s back.
A Vinicius cross was turned into his own net by defender Dominguez in the 88th minute and late substitute Guler added a fourth in stoppage time.
“Arda (Guler) has a future here. He played just three minutes but I was convinced that he could do something because of his great talent,” Real’s coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters.
Madrid, with 69 points, are seven points ahead of second-placed Girona, who beat Osasuna 2-0.
Rafa Benitez’s Celta are 17th in the standings with 24 points, just one place above the relegation zone.
“We are still in a position out of relegation, we are upset about the defeat but we are trying to recover already thinking about the other matches,” former Madrid manager Benitez said.
Madrid had drawn four of its last seven matches in all competitions. It advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday despite a poor performance in a 1-1 draw against Leipzig.
Celta had only one attempt on target in what was its eighth straight loss to Madrid. Rafa Benítez’s team sits just outside the relegation zone, two points from danger.
Vinícius opened the scoring from close range after a firm header by Rüdiger in the 21st. Madrid added to the lead with own-goals by Vicente Guaita in the 79th and Carlos Domínguez in the 88th.
The 19-year-old midfielder Guler scored his first goal for Madrid four minutes into stoppage time.
ATHLETIC MOVES UP
Athletic Bilbao moved closer to the Champions League places with a 2-0 win at Las Palmas.
The victory moved the Basque Country club within two points of fourth-place Atletico Madrid, which lost 2-0 at Cadiz.
It was Athletic’s first league win following a draw against Barcelona and a loss at Real Betis.
RAYO STRUGGLING
Rayo Vallecano’s winless streak reached 10 matches in all competitions after a 1-0 loss at Alaves.
The setback left Rayo in 16th place, four points from the relegation zone.
Andoni Gorosabel scored a first-half winner for Alaves, which hadn’t won in five consecutive league games.
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