Real Madrid beat Cadiz to move top in La Liga

Madrid: Real Madrid took advantage of the fact that Girona don’t play Athletic Bilbao until Monday night to return to the top of the La Liga table with a 3-0 win away to Cadiz.

Rodrygo had been a doubt after returning from international duty, but showed he was fully fit by scoring two excellent goals to put Madrid ahead in the 14th minute and then double their lead in the 64th minute against a rival that hasn’t won for two months, reports Xinhua.

Jude Bellingham was fit after recovering from his shoulder injury and the England midfielder rounded off a comfortable win in the 74th minute after receiving a pass from Rodrygo and scoring with a left-foot shot.

Real Sociedad won 2-1 at home to Sevilla to increase the pressure on Diego Alonso, who has still to win a league game since replacing Jose Luis Mendilibar.

Ander Barrenetxea put Real Sociedad ahead with a free kick that hit the post and then went in off the foot of Sevilla keeper Marko Dmitrovic in the third minute.

Umar Sadiq doubled the lead with a wonderful run and shot from 25 meters which flew into the top corner in the 22nd minute.

Youssef En-Nesyri pulled a goal back for Sevilla in the 60th minute with a header that took a slight deflection though on its way to goal.

Sevilla pressed for an equalizer, but everything went wrong two minutes from time when Sergio Ramos was sent off for the 30th time in his career for a dreadful challenge on Brais Mendez, and Jesus Navas was also shown a red card for his subsequent complaints.

Willian Jose’s 18th minute tap-in after Isco’s shot was blocked was enough to give Real Betis a 1-0 win at home to a competitive Las Palmas side.

36-year-old Jose Luis Morales scored a second half hat-trick as Marcelino Garcia Toral returned to Villarreal with a 3-1 win at home to Osasuna.

Villarreal were struggling to break down a stubborn Osasuna defense, before Morales scored two wonderful goals in the 57th and 71st minutes – his second after running over half of the length of the pitch – and he rounded off his hat-trick with 10 minutes left to play.

Morales scored both of Villarreal’s goals in their midweek Cup win away to Zamora and has netted five times in Marcelino’s two games in charge.

IANS