James Rodriguez scored a stunning goal to lead Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Almeria on Wednesday that kept his side two points behind leader Barcelona in the final stretch of the Spanish league title race. Rodriguez snapped Madrid out of its lethargic first-half performance by volleying home a long-range strike seconds before the break at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Almeria defender Mauro Dos Santos deflected a pass meant for Cristiano Ronaldo into his own goal in the 49th, and defender Alvaro Arbeloa sealed the win from Javier Hernandez’s pass six minutes from time.
With four rounds left, Madrid next faces a tough visit at Sevilla on Saturday, while Barcelona plays at last-place Cordoba. Then both title rivals will turn to first-leg semi-finals in the Champions league when Madrid visits Juventus and Barcelona hosts Bayern Munich next week.
“We are now in a very important period of the season, and each game is important,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “I will field the best lineup I can at Sevilla, even though we will then play at Juventus because it will be the match that matters the most.”
Sevilla extended its undefeated streak to 10 rounds after Carlos Bacca and Jose Antonio Reyes shone in its 3-1 win at Eibar on Wednesday.
An audacious solo effort by Fernando Torres’ gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win at Villarreal as the soon-to-be dethroned titleholders kept their hold on third place.
Celta Vigo needed Manuel “Nolito” Agudo’s 89th-minute winner to edge Malaga 1-0, while Elche’s fans enjoyed a convincing 4-0 victory over struggling Deportivo la Coruna. Playing without the injured Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and luka Modric, Ancelotti said that Bale may return to training on Thursday.
It was the Colombia midfielder’s 16th goal in his first season with the defending European champions. Madrid’s dip in form early this year that cost it the league lead to Barcelona came when Rodriguez was sidelined with a fractured right foot. Without him, Ancelotti’s team had four wins, one draw and four losses. Since his return, it has won seven games and drawn one, with Rodriguez scoring four times in the last five rounds.
At Villarreal, Torres went on as a second-half substitute and showed a flash of his younger self in the 74th when he stole possession from Eric Bailly, surged into the area, rounded goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo and left both Bailly and Victor Ruiz on the turf before firing home.
Asenjo later had an injury scare when his right leg buckled, but he managed to walk off when substituted. Reyes set Sevilla on its way in the seventh minute at Eibar with a superb pass that left Bacca alone to dribble goalie Xabi Irureta before tapping the ball home.
Bacca then added his 19th league goal of the season in the 15th. Federico Piovaccari pulled one back for the Basque side in the 51, only for Bacca to assist Reyes in the 64th. Sevilla moved into fourth place and the last Champions league spot, one point ahead of Valencia before it plays at Rayo Vallecano on Thursday.
Chelsea win 3-1
leicester: Chelsea staged a second-half comeback to beat leicester 3-1 on Wednesday and move to within three points of capturing the Premier league trophy. Jose Mourinho’s side holds a 13-point lead and can clinch a first league title by beating Crystal Palace at home on Sunday.
Marc Albrighton’s goal in first-half injury time raised relegation-threatened leicester’s hopes of a fifth straight win, and it sparked Chelsea into life. Veteran striker Didier Drogba equalized in the 48th minute, captain John Terry prodded in from close range in the 79th and Ramires slammed third four minutes later.
“Almost there,” said Terry. “We’ve been the best side all season ... the players and manager deserve a lot of respect, we’ve been great all year.”
Juventus beat fiorentina 3-2
Milan: Runaway Serie A leader Juventus beat Fiorentina 3-2 on Wednesday but its title celebrations were delayed by lazio’s 4-0 victory over a Parma side which is now certain to be relegated.
Fiorentina took the lead through a Gonzalo Rodriguez penalty but goals from Fernando llorente and Carlos Tevez turned the match around before Gonzalo missed a second penalty. Tevez, the league’s leading scorer, sealed the result with his 20th Serie A goal of the season before Josip Ilicic netted a late consolation goal.
Juventus remained 14 points clear of lazio and will clinch a fourth successive title with a draw at Sampdoria on Saturday, as it holds the tiebreaker edge courtesy of a better head-to-head record.
The Serie A giant is also in the hunt for a treble as it faces Real Madrid in the Champions league semi-finals and lazio in the Italian Cup final.
“At this point it would be a miracle if we didn’t win the title,” said coach Massimiliano Allegri, who is in his first season in charge of Juventus. “We’ll try to get the point we need at Genoa even if we have lost our last two away games and then we will focus on other games.”
“Today I’m happy with how the match went and with the lads, who are having an extraordinary year. Today’s match is important because it allows us to stay calm in the rest of the matches: when you still need a tiny piece to win there is always something, not anxiety, but the desire to reach your goal.” Roma won 3-0 at Sassuolo to stay third, but is now mathematically out of title race.C