Real go top to put pressure on Barca

21 November 2009 20:25

Sevilla FC´s Jesus Navas (L) clashes with CD Tenerife´s Pablo Sicillia (R) during their Spanish first league football match at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife. Sevilla won 2-1.

MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid warmed up for next Sunday's 'El Clasico' with a 1-0 home win over Racing Santander on Saturday to move top of the table, two points clear of champions and arch rivals Barcelona.

Argentine Gonzalo Higuain's goal after 22 minutes sealed a nervy Real victory that hardly appeased a Santiago Bernabeu crowd seething at the embarrassing Kings Cup exit to third division Alcorcon in the last home match.

Barcelona can reclaim top spot with vicory at Athletic Bilbao later on Saturday before the eagerly-anticipated clash between Real and Barca at Camp Nou next Sunday.

"It is always complicated after a two-week break and coming off the back of the Kings Cup loss," explained Real coach Manuel Pellegrini.

"When you get towards the end of the match with only a goal cushion it is always risky but we had several chances and also hit the post twice.

"Now we have to concentrate on FC Zurich (in the Champions League) and then we can look at the Barcelona game."

Real began without the sidelined Cristiano Ronaldo for the tenth consecutive game while captain Raul started on the substitutes bench for the third successive league game.

Xabi Alonso rattled the post for Real in the opening stages while former Liverpool team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa saw his overhit cross clip the same post.

A Real goal looked on the cards and they got a helping hand when goalkeeper Tono foolishly pushed Kaka's cross into the danger zone and Higuain had an easy tap in on 22 minutes.

It was a nightmare start for Racing coach Miguel Angel Portugal in his first game in charge but Real didn't build on their encouraging start.

Luis Garcia had three good shooting chances for Racing but failed to hit the target on each occasion.

Higuain should have scored his second on 70 minutes but Tono pulled off a fine save to keep his side in the match.

Racing then had what looked a perfectly valid equaliser ruled out for offside leaving Racing goalscorer Sergio Canales dumbfounded.

Real now host FC Zurich in the Champions League on Wednesday needing a win with AC Milan on the same points and Marseille just a point behind.

Barcelona are also in Champions League action at home to Inter Milan on Tuesday in a must-win game for the holders.

Sevilla kept up their own title charge with a 2-1 win at promoted Tenerife to stay three points behind leaders Real.

Argentine winger Diego Perotti and Brazilian Renato were on target as Sevilla kept pace with Barcelona and Real.

The 21-year-old Perotti, who won his first cap for Argentina this month, struck the opener on 32 minutes before Renato added a second three minutes after the break.

Manolo Jimenez's side now travel to Unirea Urziceni in the Champions League on Tuesday with qualification for the knockout stage secure.

Elsewhere Deportivo La Coruna moved up to fourth with a dramatic 2-1 home win over Atletico Madrid.

Mexican Andres Guardado converted a controversial penalty five minutes into stoppage time to down Atletico who stay in the bottom three with coach Quique Sanchez Flores still waiting for his first league win in charge.

"We weren't expecting that ending but things like that can happen in football," said Flores. "It is not going to be easy to bounce back in the league."

The game looked poised to end 1-1 but Pablo Ibanez conceded a penalty at the death and Guardado made no mistake.

Atletico forward Sergio "Kun" Aguero was furious about the decision with coach Flores coming onto the pitch to calm him down while Atletico midfielder Cleber Santana was sent off for complaining.