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Madrid. Real Madrid served up a stellar performance for coach Manuel Pellegrini, trouncing Zaragoza 6-0 in its last game before the Spanish league’s winter break on Saturday.

Madrid improved to 37 points, just two behind league leader and defending champion Barcelona.

“We’re playing better and better, our dynamic is improving and today we proved it,” said Gonzalo Higuain, who scored twice. “Everybody played well.”

Rafael Van der Vaart also notched two, Cristiano Ronaldo scored and substitute Karim Benzema celebrated his 22nd birthday with a goal.

Elsewhere, Getafe beat Sevilla 2-1 with two goals from Roberto Soldado, while Fernando Llorente scored one and set up another as Athletic Bilbao topped Osasuna 2-0.

Zaragoza fired coach Marcelino Garcia after last week’s loss to Athletic Bilbao saw the club slip into the relegation zone. This was caretaker coach Jose Aurelio Gay’s first game in charge, and the defense was no better against Real Madrid, living up to its billing as the worst in the league when Higuain coolly slotted past goalkeeper Javier Lopez in the third minute.

Van der Vaart’s brace was followed in the 34th by Higuain’s second, a superb effort. He controlled a fumbled Zaragoza clearance before driving the ball into the top left corner on the half-turn.

Five minutes after halftime, the lively Ronaldo controlled a cross from Marcelo and toyed with the defense in the area before placing his shot into the left side of the net.

Soon after going on for Higuain, Benzema left-footed in a shot from Van der Vaart’s pass.

Meanwhile, a break by Getafe in the 12th minute saw Soldado sprint onto Jaime Gavilan’s pass and knock the ball past the helpless Andres Palop.

Soldado’s 10th goal of the season was also against the run of play when defender Sergio Sanchez failed to intercept Juan Angel Albin’s through pass, letting the Getafe striker burst through and score from a tight angle on the right.

Loose defending by Getafe after the break allowed Jesus Navas to cross for Alvaro Negredo who ran the ball into the net.

At San Mames Stadium, Bilbao’s Francisco Yeste scored in the first minute from a meter out at the far post after Llorente dribbled into the area and crossed.

In the 12th, Llorente underlined Bilbao’s superiority, receiving the ball with his back to goal and dribbling away from his marker before shooting low into the bottom left corner.

The Osasuna defense struggled to control the home side’s attack and Carlos Gurpegi nearly scored a third in the 20th, although goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez blocked his first-time shot from the edge of the area.

With forwards Walter Pandiani and Carlos Aranda injured, Osasuna’s lone striker, Eduardo Fernandes, struggled.

Llorente was replaced in the 75th by Oscar de Marcos and in the 80th Yeste was replaced by Iker Muniain, who was celebrating his 17th birthday.

The win lifted Bilbao into sixth place, pending the results of Sunday’s matches.



Associated Press