Real Madrid lead the Spanish league after beating Villarreal 4-1 however misplaced defender David Alaba with a severe knee damage on Sunday. Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz and Luka Modric scored for Madrid, which moved one level forward of Girona forward of the Catalan membership’s residence sport towards Alaves on Monday. Madrid is seven factors forward of third-place Barcelona. The defending champion drew 1-1 at Valencia on Saturday.
“It’s always good to open a gap to Barcelona,” Rodrygo said. “But seven points is not a lot, there is still a lot of league left. We have to keep this mindset and keep trying to win every match.”
Alaba needed to be helped off the sector on the Santiago Bernabeu earlier than halftime when his left knee buckled whereas he tried to steal the ball from an opponent close to midfield. The Austria defender fell and instantly known as for assist whereas grabbing his knee. He could not put weight on his left leg whereas being carried off the sector within the thirty fourth minute.
Madrid mentioned after the match that Alaba ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament and might want to endure surgical procedure within the subsequent few days. The membership didn’t instantly say how lengthy he’s anticipated to be sidelined.
“He was sad at halftime,” Rodrygo mentioned. “We have to wait for the tests but it’s something that worries us.”
It was the most recent severe knee damage for Madrid this season. The membership is already with out goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Éder Militão due to cruciate ligament accidents which can be anticipated to maintain them out of motion for a protracted interval. Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler additionally sustained knee accidents.
“We are very sad because it’s the third injury like this in the last four months. It’s something that had never happened to one of my teams before,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti mentioned. “But the team has been able to overcome these injuries. It has done more than people thought it could do.”
Bellingham and Rodrygo continued their good scoring runs to offer Madrid a 2-0 first-half lead. Bellingham scored his league-leading thirteenth purpose with a header off a cross by Modric within the twenty fifth, and Rodrygo added to the lead within the thirty seventh for his fifth purpose in his final six video games. Bellingham has seven objectives in his final 9 matches with the membership.
Díaz scored the third purpose after a stupendous run that began close to the midfield line within the sixty fourth. He cleared two defenders earlier than discovering the online from inside the world. Modric closed the scoring with one other shot from contained in the field within the 68th.
José Luis Morales scored within the 54th for Villarreal, which hasn’t gained in three straight league matches and has dropped to 14th place.
Villarreal has 9 losses in 17 league matches up to now, its worst run at this level of a season.
Villarreal had been the final crew to beat Madrid within the league on the Bernabeu, profitable 3-2 final season. That was Madrid’s solely loss in its final 31 league matches as a number. It misplaced each of its league matches towards Villarreal final season.
Díaz began as an alternative of Joselu, whereas Lucas Vazquez was the precise again rather than the injured Dani Carvajal.
THRILLING DRAW
Sixth-place Real Sociedad had three objectives disallowed and twice hit the woodwork in a 0-0 residence draw towards seventh-place Real Betis.
It was the ninth consecutive match and not using a loss for Sociedad in all competitions, and the third straight league draw for Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis.
CADIZ HELD
Cadiz’s winless run within the league reached 13 matches after a 1-1 draw at Las Palmas.
Cadiz, which equalized with a purpose by Chris Ramos within the 83rd, stayed just one level from the relegation zone. Las Palmas, which was in search of its fourth win in a row in all competitions, is in ninth place.
ALMERIA STILL WINLESS
Almeria drew 0-0 with Mallorca at residence to stay the one winless crew after 17 rounds.
The Saudi-owned membership has 5 attracts and 12 losses. It is eight factors behind the primary crew exterior the relegation zone.
Mallorca, unbeaten in 5 straight video games in all competitions, is in fifteenth place.
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
