Real Zaragoza vs Real Madrid Match Preview
Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid visit Zaragoza at the basement on Sunday's evening ready to recover the top position if only for a few hours. Sergio Ramos will be missing the next three games due to injuries, making room for Alvaro Arbeloa on the right wing.
Jose Aguirre has not yet been able to celebrate a victory with Zaragoza. Sinama Pongolle is likely to return to the team (he injured playing against Villarreal a few weeks ago). He'll take over Braulio's place, who's sidelined with a flu.
Karim Benzema earned his place as center forward on Wednesday as he score his first hat-trick with Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo will lead the advance from the right wing while Lass Diarra replaces Sami Khedira, joining Xabi Alonso in the midfield.
Barcelona has a busy schedule ahead while Real Madrid must face relatively "weak" rivals. Jose Mourinho must make things extremely well to recover the first position, will he make it this Sunday at the Romareda?
Real Zaragoza vs Real Madrid Match Report
Mesut Ozil, Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria made it all too easy for Real Madrid against Zaragoza and allowed Jose Mourinho to return to the top position for a few hours.
Gabriel Fernandez reduced the difference for the hosts seconds after Ricardo Carvalho challenged Nicolas Bertolo inside the box.
Ronaldo, Marcelo and Ozil were responsible for the opener in the first fifteen minutes of the game. Ronaldo score the second with a beautiful free kick that rendered Zaragoza's goalkeeper Leo Franco helpless.
As soon as the second half started, Di Maria score an exquisite goal by lifting the ball over Leo Franco. It looked like it was game over for Zaragoza, but Fernandez fed the hopes of los Blancos. unluckily for them, Madrid was closer from scoring a fourth goal (Franco stopped a perfect shot by Lass Diarra) than Zaragoza from getting closer to the Galactics.
Ronaldo score his 17th goal in fifteen Liga matches, a truly fearsome record.