MADRID: Vinicius Junior won and converted two penalties as Real Madrid thumped Real Sociedad 4-1 on Saturday to move provisionally top of La Liga.
An impressive performance from Trent Alexander-Arnold on his first start in two-and-a-half months also helped Los Blancos move two points clear of champions Barcelona, who visit Girona on Monday.
Madrid’s convincing display inflicted a first defeat for visiting American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, in his 10th match at the helm of Real Sociedad.
Young striker Gonzalo Garcia and Fede Valverde were also on target for Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid, who face an important Champions League play-off match against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on Tuesday in Lisbon.
“We did great work in attack and in defence… you could tell that we were defending as a team during the whole game,” Valverde told Real Madrid TV.
“We’ve had long weeks where we’ve been preparing a lot, and now we will fight for La Liga and the Champions League.”
Fit to start his first game since early December after a thigh injury, it did not take Alexander-Arnold long to make an impact.
The England defender’s cross was met with a delicate finish by Garcia, starting in place of French superstar Kylian Mbappe, who was feeling some knee discomfort.
“Trent is a very intelligent boy, who understands the game very well, and has quickly understood what we want from him,” Arbeloa told reporters.
“We’re lucky to have a player like this, who can play inside or outside… at set-pieces, with his kick, he can set us off on the counter-attack very well, he’s a great player.”
Real Sociedad pulled level after 21 minutes when Yangel Herrera was clumsily felled by Dean Huijsen in Madrid’s box.
Mikel Oyarzabal powered the spot-kick down the middle, but La Real’s joy was short-lived.
Vinicius won a penalty of his own at the other end when Jon Aramburu tripped him in the area, and the Brazilian sent Alex Remiro the wrong way.
Madrid were rampant, and Valverde netted a fine third in the 31st minute, moving into space on the edge of the box and curling into the top corner.
Matarrazzo sent on Goncalo Guedes at half-time, hoping his team could mount a comeback, but Aramburu conceded another penalty early in the second half.
It was Vinicius running at him once more which provoked it, with the winger nutmegging Aramburu and then eagerly hitting the deck as the right-back slid in.
Vinicius went for the bottom left corner this time, switching directions, and Remiro could not reach his strike.
With Jude Bellingham out injured and Mbappe sitting on the bench, Vinicius seemed to have more freedom to roam and revelled in being the key attacking figure.
“Since I’ve arrived, he’s had games at a really high level… he’s a player who goes beyond the statistics, how he can change a game, condition opponents, the number of players he can attract”, said Arbeloa.
“(Vinicius is) one of the best in the world, I’m lucky to coach him, he’s a great kid with a big heart.”
Garcia came close to a second but Real Sociedad defender Jon Martin, who performed well individually despite his team’s heavy defeat, cleared his effort off the line.
Vinicius was denied a hat-trick by the linesman’s flag as he used his shoulder to convert Arda Guler’s crossed free-kick, but had strayed just offside.
“The first half was tough, we weren’t comfortable… and in general we did badly,” Oyarzabal told Movistar after his team’s unbeaten run was brought to an end.
“We came here in a good dynamic and doing well, a bad game doesn’t have to spoil that.”
Earlier, Villarreal fell to a 2-1 defeat at Getafe in a blow to their hopes of a top-four finish.
The Yellow Submarine, currently sitting fourth, were far from their best, and Mauro Arambarri sent the hosts ahead from the penalty spot shortly before the break.
Martin Satriano extended Getafe’s lead early in the second half, with Georges Mikautadze pulling one back for Villarreal, but Marcelino Garcia Toral’s team could not find an equaliser.
Real Betis, fifth, could move within four points of Villarreal if they beat Mallorca on Sunday.
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