Real Madrid score important late win in Valencia

MADRID - Real Madrid scored an important 3-2 win away to Valencia, with all the goals coming in a heart-stopping second half.

Gonzalo Higuain scored twice for Real, fellow Argentine Ezequiel Garay headed in the winner after Valencia had twice equalized here Saturday.

Higuain said that “this was a hard match for us, in a difficult stadium. I am very happy with my goals, and with the result”.

The Argentine striker added, “we are playing better every time,” and said that his partnership with Karim Benzema was “very promising”.

The only bad news for Real was the serious knee injury suffered by defender Pepe.

The dramatic win leaves Real in second place, five points behind leaders Barcelona, who earlier on Saturday beat crosstown rivals Espanyol 1-0 at home.

These results give the impression that the race for the Liga title will be a two-horse race, the same as last season.

Barca have 39 points from 15 games, five points more than real, who have played a game less. Valencia are third with 28 points, six less than Real.

Real took control from the start against a Valencia side, which seemed overawed by the occasion. Sergio Ramos almost gave the visitors the lead just before half-time, but his header hit the Valencia post.

Real went ahead 10 minutes into the second half, when Benzema centred for Gonzalo to score with a deft header.

Six minutes later league top scorer David Villa made it 1-1 for Valencia with his head, taking advantage of a mistake by Real keeper Iker Casillas.

Higuain then restored Real’s lead with a right-foot drive, after good work by Marcelo.

Joaquin made it 2-2 for the hosts with a near-post drive which Casillas made a mess of, but Garay sealed Real’s win six minutes from time by heading in a precise free-kick from Xabi Alonso.

This is the third time in four seasons that Real have won in Mestalla.

Earlier on Saturday Barcelona had needed a doubtful penalty to beat Espanyol 1-0 in a raucous Catalan derby.

The only goal was put away by new Camp Nou idol Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the penalty spot, after a dubious decision by referee Eduardo Iturralde.

“We were not really at our best tonight,” admitted Barca right-back Dani Alves.

“But we have won again,” he added, “and now we can think about the Club World Championship.”

Barca leave for Abu Dhabi Sunday and face Mexican team Atlante in the semi-finals Wednesday.

The Catalan derby was preceded by Lionel Messi showing off his recently-won European Footballer of the Year award, waving the famous golden ball to the delighted Camp Nou crowd.

Messi missed the match due to a twisted right ankle, and Barca lacked his imagination and craft in attack.

As usual, they dominated possession from start to finish but struggled to break down a solid Espanyol 4-2-3-1 formation.

Pedro and Thierry Henry both went close for Barca, but they lacked their usual invention and penetration.

Six minutes before half-time they were given a dubious penalty, for a supposed pull by Jose Baena on Xavi. Ibrahimovic was determined not to waste the early Christmas present, and made it 1-0 with a powerful penalty.

The second half was a scrappy, disjointed, bad-tempered affair, with Barca looking weary and Espanyol looking defiant. Even so, the Barca defence had few problems in holding out for their fourth straight league win.

Earlier Saturday, lowly Zaragoza crashed 2-1 at home to lively Athletic Bilbao, a result which has led to Zaragoza sacking coach Marcelino Garcia straight afterwards.

The latest defeat leaves Zaragoza fourth from bottom and Marcelino - who guided them back to the first division last season - out of a job. It is not clear who will be his successor.

Joaquin Caparros has built a vibrant young team at Bilbao, keeping with in the limits of the club’s all-Basque player policy, and his young charges are now seventh.

They went ahead in the 61st minute when Mikel San Jose headed in a centre from teenager Iker Muniain.

And eight minutes from time Muniain set up Markel Susaeta to make it 2-0 with his left foot.

Two minutes into injury time Carlos Diogo pulled back a goal for Zaragoza with a shot which took a deflection off Bilbao defender Amorebieta, but it came too late to save Marcelino.