Internet Desk: Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo rose to the occasion to inspire a depleted Real Madrid to a 3-0 triumph over Real Sociedad on Sunday in La Liga as Zinedine Zidane’s team took full advantage of the slip ups by Barcelona and Sevilla to go four points’ clear at the top of the points table.
Ronaldo assisted Kovacic for the opening goal in the 38th minute to ease the mounting pressure at the Santiago Bernabeu after the fans had grown impatient with the team’s uninspired display and the Portuguese legend secured the victory with a strike of his own in the 51st.
Substitute Alvaro Morata then put the finishing touch to the win by adding the third in the 82nd minute.
Ronaldo had been one of the scapegoats for Real’s recent stuttering run which saw them win one of their last four games and exit the King’s Cup in midweek to Celta Vigo.
He was whistled after giving the ball away early in the game and responded by shouting back at the crowd although all was forgiven when he latched onto Kovacic’s through ball and coolly chipped it into the net.
Real Sociedad had made things difficult for Real on a rainy evening in the Spanish capital and could have levelled before the break when forward Juanmi burst into the area but skewed wide.
The Basque side’s resistance waned after Ronaldo’s goal and they had defender Inigo Martinez sent off in the 74th minute for two bookings.
Morata, who had an earlier goal wiped out for offside, headed in Lucas Vazquez’s cross shortly after Sociedad had been rduced to 10 men and Ronaldo also had a second goal ruled out in the 90th minute for offside.
Real top the standings on 46 points, four clear of Barcelona, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Sunday, and Sevilla, who were beaten 2-1 at Espanyol, and have a game in hand on both their title rivals.