Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuaín hits hat-trick to overwhelm Valladolid - 7M sport

Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuaín hits hat-trick to overwhelm Valladolid



Posted Monday, March 15, 2010 by theguardian.com

Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuaín hits hat-trick to overwhelm Valladolid
Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain celebrates after scoring his second goal against Real Valladolid.

Gonzalo Higuaín scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid responded in style to their Champions League exit. Cristiano Ronaldo was also on target as they swept past Real Valladolid 4-1 to stay level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga. Raul Albiol's own-goal, which briefly reduced the arrears to 3-1, was all the home side could muster.

Wednesday night's 1-1 draw with Lyon at the Bernabéu, which gave the French side a 2-1 aggregate win in their Champions League last-16 tie, had called into question the position of the coach, Manuel Pellegrini. But, with Barça having piled the pressure on with a 3-0 win over Valencia earlier in the evening, Pellegrini's side never looked in danger of suffering further embarrassment away to a side battling against relegation.

Valladolid did start brightly and Haris Medunjanin had a weak shot blocked by Albiol before Carlos Lazaro fired wide of the left post from inside the area. They had their goalkeeper, Justo Villar, to thank for keeping them on level terms in the 22nd minute, though, after a fine double save. Villar parried Sergio Ramos's header from Rafael van der Vaart's left-footed free-kick from the left and then palmed away the follow-up shot from the same player.

He could do nothing, however, to stop Madrid taking the lead in the 27th minute. Ronaldo's 30-yard free-kick was well struck but the deflection it took off the top of the wall took it away from Villar and into the top corner.

Nivaldo headed wide from Pele's free-kick at the other end before another Pele set piece almost caught out Iker Casillas. The on-loan Porto player's effort bounced awkwardly in front of the Spain goalkeeper, who parried it unconvincingly against the post and Madrid scrambled the ball clear.

Van der Vaart almost made it two when Higuaín's pull-back found him in space on the left edge of the box. The Dutchman had time to set himself and curled an effort towards the near top corner but Villar clawed it away.

Nivaldo was then lucky to escape punishment as he appeared to stamp on Ronaldo's shin after a tackle on the Portugal forward but Madrid doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time. Van der Vaart swung in a free-kick from the left and Higuaín side-footed in first time from around the six-yard line.

The Argentinian made it three seven minutes after the break, running on to a header from Ronaldo and calmly stroking the ball past Villar into the bottom right corner.

Valladolid were handed a possible way back into the match in the 58th minute when Casillas made a save only for the ball to bounce off the legs of Albiol and back into the net.

Any hopes of a fightback evaporated within seven minutes, however. A minute after Villar had brilliantly saved Ronaldo's shot with his feet, the former Manchester United player received a short corner from Van der Vaart and sent in a cross-shot that Higuaín turned in at the far post to complete his hat-trick.

Pele came close to a second for Valladolid, his curling right-footed free-kick in the 90th minute thumping against the inside of the left post with Casillas motionless, but Madrid's victory had long been assured.



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