Real Madrid beats Celta Vigo 2-0 to go top in Spain
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) â Marco Asensio and Lucas VaÌzquez set one another up for goals to help Real Madrid earn a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday, as the defending champions edged one point above AtleÌtico Madrid at the top of the Spanish league.
Second-place AtleÌtico has played three fewer matches than Madrid and will have the chance to return to the top when it visits AlaveÌs on Sunday.
Asensio crossed to the far post for VaÌzquez to head in Madridâs opener in the sixth minute. VaÌzquez then set up his fellow forward for Asensio to double the lead in the 53rd.
âWe played a complete match from start to finish,â Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. âWe controlled the game, were balanced in our transitions between attack and defense, and recovered the ball with our pressure.
âWe are feeling good. But there is still a long way to go in this league,â Zidane said about the title race as the league approaches its midway point.
Celta had arrived at Madridâs Alfredo Di SteÌfano stadium as one of the hottest teams in Spain. But VaÌzquez and Asensio punished Celta for its aggressive pressure which left too much space on the flanks.
It was the first loss in seven rounds for Celta since former player Eduardo Coudet took over as coach in November. Celta remained in eighth place.
Madrid was without central defender Sergio Ramos due an unspecified stomach ailment. But this was unlike other matches which Madrid has struggled to win in his absence. Replacement Nacho FernaÌndez stepped in and made two stops to snuff out Celtaâs only shots on goal.
VaÌzquezâs goal came seconds after Nacho cleared a goal-bound shot that Iago Aspas had chipped over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Celta lost top scorer Aspas to an apparent right-thigh problem. He walked off the field grimacing when substituted, seconds before Asensio scored Madridâs second goal after a quick counterattack started by Luka Modricâs interception of a pass by Jeison Murillo.
Asensioâs goal was his first of the season. The 24-year-old forward is slowly regaining his form since he returned in June after several months spent recovering from a ligament tear.
Nacho was also shielding Courtoisâ net to block a stoppage-time effort by Miguel Baeza.
âLosing our top player made it tougher for us, but we stayed in the game and looked to score until the very end, so that is going to help going forward,â Coudet said.
DERBY DRAW
Sevilla needed goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to save Nabil Fekir's penalty kick so it could salvage a 1-1 draw with a Real Betis side that was missing several players due to COVID-19 infections.
JesuÌs âSusoâ FernaÌndez put Sevilla ahead against the flow of play in the 48th. Sergio Canales converted a penalty after Diego Carlos fouled Loren MoroÌn in the box to level for Betis in the 53rd. It was Canales' third goal in two matches since returning from injury.
Fekir stepped up to the spot for Betis with 15 minutes remaining after he was fouled by Marcos AcunÌa, only to have his attempt smothered by Bounou.
Mexico forward Diego Lainez led Betis in the first half, when he set up Fekir and Canales for shots that narrowly missed.
Betis was without JoaquiÌn SaÌnchez, AndreÌs Guardado, MartiÌn Montoya and AÌlex Moreno after they tested positive for the coronavirus.
Sevilla was left in fifth place and Betis in ninth.
The Seville derby is usually held amid an intense fan rivalry. This time it was played without spectators like the rest of the matches in Spain due to the pandemic restrictions.
MORENO SCORES
Gerard Moreno led Villarreal to a 2-1 win over Levante after netting his ninth goal of the season to leave him equal with Celtaâs Aspas as the competitionâs top scorers.
Moreno added to Fernando NinÌoâs opener when the Spain striker slotted a right-footed shot just inside the upright in the 54th.
Moreno also hit the post late after Levante substitute Sergio LeoÌn pulled one back with a header.
VALLADOLID WINS
Israel forward Shon Weissman scored in the first half as Valladolid won 1-0 at Getafe and escaped the relegation zone.
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