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| Angel di Maria celebrates goal with mates in first half |
Monitoring Desk
MADRID, Spain
(TheSportsNEXT) November 4, 2012: Real Madrid moved into third place and
handed Jose Mourinho his 100th win in charge of Los Blancos with a 4-0 victory
over Real Zaragoza.
Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria put the hosts in a
commanding position with a goal apiece in a two-minute spell midway through the
first half, and Real wrapped things up in the final two minutes as both Michael
Essien and Luka Modric scored their first goals since swapping the Premier
League for the Spanish capital.
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| Gonzalo Higuain |
The hosts were slow to get going but came to life in the
15th minute as Cristiano Ronaldo headed just wide from Di Maria's teasing ball
in. And the Portugal captain should have done better moments later with another
header that this time sailed over from Alvaro Arbeloa's cross.
Iker Casillas was then called into action for the first time
to save his side from going behind as he got down well to parry Helder
Postiga's effort from just inside the area.
But within three minutes the champions were ahead as Roberto
could only parry Raul Albiol's header from Modric's corner back into the middle
of the six-yard box, where Higuain was lurking to smash in his seventh goal of
the season.
Two minutes later, Real doubled their lead as again a decent
first save from Roberto went unrewarded, as Di Maria latched onto the rebound
after his initial effort was parried to brilliantly stroke the ball into the
roof of the net.
Ronaldo then came within inches of a third with a drive
across goal that whistled past the far post, however after that spurt from the
hosts Zaragoza came back into the match in the period either side of the break
and came close on numerous occasions in the second half.
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| Luka Modric |
Victor was the first man to be denied, Casillas brilliantly
turning his curling shot wide, before the Spain No1 made a more comfortable
stop low to his left from Paco Montanes' long-range effort. And Jose Mari went
even closer moments later with a thundering effort that crashed back off the
crossbar.
Postiga did eventually have the ball in the Real net on 68
minutes but he was flagged offside and Abraham summed up a frustrating night
for the visitors nine minutes from time as he waltzed past Jose Maria Callejon,
Sergio Ramos and Pepe only to blaze his shot over when faced with Casillas.
Ronaldo also fired a free-kick off the bar and was denied
from closer range by Roberto before Essien made it three with a calm finish
from Karim Benzema's pass. And Modric had the last word with a low drive from
outside the area after Roberto had parried another powerful effort from
Ronaldo.
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| Michael Essien |
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