BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Francisco
"Isco" Alarcon scored twice and Cristiano Ronaldo added another goal
Sunday to give Real Madrid a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao with the
club's drawn-out negotiations to sign Gareth Bale approaching the close
of the summer transfer window.
Madrid has until Monday evening to
close the deal for Bale with Tottenham. Media reports place Madrid's
offer in the range of the record 80-million pound ($124 million) fee
paid to Manchester United for Ronaldo in 2009.
After not scoring in Madrid's first
two wins to start the Spanish league season, Ronaldo headed in Madrid's
second goal in first-half injury time to add to Isco's 26th-minute
opener from Karim Benzema's pass.
Benzema assisted Isco again in the 73rd for his third goal in as many games since joining from Malaga this offseason.
"Things are going well considering we
have just started the season, three for three so far," said the
21-year-old Isco. "We are getting better game by game. That's our goal."
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti started
Diego Lopez instead of Iker Casillas for the third straight match, but
the goalkeeper could do nothing to stop substitute Ibai Gomez from
getting Bilbao's consolation goal in the 79th.
Ancelotti said that defender Fabio Coentrao was staying at the club after changing his mind over a transfer.
Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera did
not play a day after his club said it had rejected an offer for him from
Manchester United. Coach Ernesto Valverde said that his benching had
nothing to do with the interest from United and that he expected Herrera
to stay.
Barcelona visits Valencia later, while Atletico Madrid is at Real Sociedad, Sevilla hosts Malaga, and Espanyol plays Real Betis.
Before the match started, Madrid
dismantled a stage it had set up inside the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
last weekend supposedly for Bale's presentation. It is expected to go
back up soon with the market set to close and Tottenham having spent 85
million pounds ($133 million) this summer and with the chance to make
most of that back by selling its star player.
Isco poked his first goal under
goalkeeper Iago Herrerin after Benzema set him up with a scooped pass
made easier by Bilbao's Andoni Iraola who failed to move forward with
the rest of the defensive line, leaving Isco onside to take the ball
alone in the area.
"Isco is playing very well, it looks like he has been playing here a long time," said Ancelotti.
Benat Etxebarria almost leveled for
Bilbao with a free kick on the half-hour mark, but a misplaced pass
Madrid threaten on the counterattack with Isco and Benzema leading the
way.
Ronaldo extended the hosts' lead by running free to head Angel Di Maria's dipping free kick into the corner of the net.
The Portugal forward was denied
another goal by Herrerin in the 68th when he made a one-handed parry to
push Ronaldo's driving free kick around his post.
Isco fired in Madrid's third after
controlling Benzema's short cross with one touch and scored to ensure
Bilbao would suffer its first loss of the season following two
victories.
Updated September 1, 2013
No comments :
Post a Comment