February 19, 2012

A Cristiano Ronaldo header set Real Madrid on their way to a 4-0 win at home to 10-man Racing Santander that stretched their advantage over second-placed Barcelona to 13 points at the top of La Liga.

Ronaldo’s sixth-minute goal from a clever Kaká assist was his 28th of the season in the league, putting the former Manchester United player five clear of Barça’s World Player of the Year Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts.

Santander, who are 18th in the standings, were reduced to 10 men six minutes before the break when the referee ruled the defender, Domingo Cisma, had handled the ball for a second time in the game and showed him a second yellow card.

Real doubled their lead in added time at the end of the first half when a dinked Karim Benzema effort was deflected over the line by the Santander defender Bernardo under pressure from Sergio Ramos.

Substitute Ángel Di María, back after injury, netted the third goal and the best of the night in the 73rd minute when he powered a left-foot strike past goalkeeper Tono from just outside the area.

Benzema’s deflected effort made it 4-0 a minute from time to seal an 18th win for José Mourinho’s side in 19 league matches since the end of September and lift them to 61 points from 23 games.

Barça, who beat arch-rivals Real 3-1 at the Bernabéu in December but have otherwise suffered patchy away form, can trim the gap to 10 points with a win at home to third-placed Valencia on Sunday. However, with Real in such imperious form and unlikely to drop many points, the world and European champions’ bid for a fourth straight domestic title already appears a lost cause.

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