LAST UPDATE | 26 Nov 2023
RODRYGO SENT REAL Madrid provisionally top of La Liga with two goals in a comfortable 3-0 win at Cadiz on Sunday.
The Brazilian winger also set up a goal for La Liga’s top scorer Jude Bellingham, who now has 11 to his name this season in the Spanish top flight.
Madrid climbed a point clear of high-flying Girona, who host Athletic Bilbao on Monday looking to reclaim top spot.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side also rose four points clear of fourth-placed rivals Barcelona, following their 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, and third-placed Atletico Madrid.
Madrid were dealt severe blows over the past fortnight with Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga suffering long-term injuries, joining Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and Aurelien Tchouameni on the sidelines.
What a finish! 👏🇧🇷
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Rodrygo finds the top corner with a great strike for the opener ⚪ pic.twitter.com/6vBqgfz6Xl
Ancelotti started Toni Kroos in defensive midfield and brought veteran playmaker Luka Modric into the team for only his fifth start in La Liga.
Bellingham also returned after missing two league games with a shoulder injury.
Madrid dominated the opening stages and took the lead after 14 minutes when Rodrygo dribbled across the penalty area and curled a sumptuous strike into the top right corner.
Rodrygo’s goals mean he has scored in three consecutive games for the first time since arriving at the club in 2019.
Madrid should have doubled their lead early in the second half after Rodrygo dribbled around Cadiz goalkeeper Conan Ledesma, but Joselu left it to him to finish, and he in turn left it for the veteran striker, with the ball running out of play.
However Rodrygo had his second soon enough, another fine strike after dribbling into the box from 30 yards out.
After Maxi Gomez missed a fine chance for the hosts, the inspired Rodrygo set up the third for Bellingham and the England international drilled a tidy low finish across goal with his left foot.
Madrid host Napoli on Wednesday in the Champions League having already qualified from the group but looking to seal top spot.
Earlier Sunday, Marcelino Garcia Toral enjoyed a comfortable win on his return to La Liga management with Villarreal, with Jose Luis Morales’ hat-trick sinking Osasuna 3-1.
Real Sociedad, fifth, earned a 2-1 win at Sevilla, who had Sergio Ramos and Jesus Navas sent off.
Veteran defender Ramos’s dismissal was the 29th red card of his career, and a record-extending 21st in La Liga.
Willian Jose’s goal helped Real Betis, seventh, edge Las Palmas 1-0 to pull level with Athletic Bilbao, sixth, on 24 points.
In Scotland, Rangers blew their chance of putting pressure on Celtic despite a late James Tavernier penalty giving them a 1-1 draw against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
The Light Blues saw a chink of title light on Saturday when the cinch Premiership leaders drew 1-1 at home to Motherwell but they fell behind after just 11 minutes to a Bojan Miovski strike after the static Gers defence had again been exposed.
However, in the final minute of normal time, after being sent by VAR Andrew Dallas to check his pitchside monitor, referee Nick Walsh pointed to the spot, judging Aberdeen’s Stefan Garternmann had pulled Connor Goldson’s jersey at a corner.
Skipper Tavernier converted the spot kick for a draw which keeps Celtic eight points clear at the top of the table albeit the Hoops have played one more game than their Old Firm rivals.
In Italy, Lautaro Martinez ensured Inter Milan kept hold of their two-point lead at the top of Serie A as he struck in a scrappy 1-1 draw at closest rivals Juventus.
Argentina forward Martinez swept home Marcus Thuram’s low cross in the 33rd minute following great play down the right flank from his strike partner, to keep second-placed Juve at arm’s length in the title race.
His 15th goal in all competitions brought Inter level six minutes after Dusan Vlahovic broke a two-month scoring duck with a similar first-time finish at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.
The stalemate ended a six-match winning streak in all competitions for Inter, who are favourites to claim a 20th league Scudetto ahead of AC Milan who have also won the league 19 times.
Paulo Dybala felt the need to silence the haters after helping to fire Roma fifth with the decisive second goal in a 3-1 win over struggling Udinese.
Argentina forward Dybala rolled Roma into a 2-1 lead with nine minutes remaining at the Stadio Olimpico after being brilliantly flicked through by Romelu Lukaku, with Stephan El Shaarawy then completing the scoring in the final minute.
Dybala’s strike helped move Roma three points from fourth-placed Napoli — who currently occupy the last Champions League spot — taking advantage of Atalanta and Fiorentina both losing on Saturday to leapfrog the pair.
Udinese are only a point above the relegation zone, with Empoli just inside the bottom three after Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi consigned them to a late 4-3 home defeat.
Defeat sent Empoli down to 18th, level on 10 points with Cagliari who move out of the drop zone following their 1-1 draw with Monza in Sunday’s late match.
Ilario Monterisi moved Frosinone up to 10th with a 92nd-minute winner against fellow promoted outfit Genoa, who sit 15th after their seventh defeat of the campaign.
With reporting from Press Association
