Madrid: Zinedine Zidane brought Real Madrid’s outcasts in from the cold and they repaid him with a win over Celta Vigo here Saturday but La Liga’s title race could well be over after Atletico Madrid were beaten by Athletic Bilbao.
Isco and Gareth Bale each scored in Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Celta before Atletico lost 2-0 at San Mames, giving Barcelona the chance to go 10 points clear if they overcome Real Betis Sunday.
Barca’s superiority has been clear for some time but Zidane’s new era is up and running. Isco, who had not started a single league game under Santiago Solari, gave Real the lead shortly after the hour and Bale got the goal his own committed display deserved to put sorry Celta out of sight.
Bale was teed up by Marcelo, who was also dropped by Solari but recalled, while Keylor Navas pulled off a superb save in the first half, having been brought back in ahead of Thibaut Courtois.
“Nobody can erase what these players have done,” Zidane about those players he recalled. “I will count on everyone.” The victory ends a run of four consecutive home defeats for Madrid and means they are now two points behind Atletico, nine back on Barca.
That deficit will surely prove too big to close but Zidane’s job was to restore morale in the 11 league games that are left and to find out what, and who, needs changing in the summer.
Bale, whose relationship with Zidane deteriorated to breaking point last season, was arguably the biggest winner, his performance proving there could yet be a place for him in what the club’s president Florentino Perez has dubbed ‘the glorious new era’.
Marcelo impressed too while Courtois might well wonder what his next couple of months hold, given Navas, an old favourite of Zidane, looks to be back in favour.
After going out of the Champions League to Juventus Tuesday, Atletico’s miserable week continued as they were undone by two late goals in Bilbao.
Jose Gimenez was at fault for the opener, gifting the ball to Inigo Cordoba who found Inaki Williams at the back post. Gimenez was unfortunate for the second too, as Kenan Kodro’s shot deflected off his foot on its way in, leaving Barcelona with one hand on the trophy.
AFP
