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Higuain double hands Pellegrini win over old team

A double from Argentinian striker Gonzalo Higuain helped Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini celebrate a 6-2 victory over his former team Villarreal as the winners kept up the pressure on Spanish league leaders Barcelona on Sunday.

Real – who are just two points behind Barcelona – started like a dream with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring from a brilliant freekick and dedicated it to the flood victims of his home island of Madeira, and then Brazilian star Kaka puit them 2-0 to the good with a penalty.

Villarreal, though, struck back through Brazilian Nilmar before seeing Real add a third as Higuain struck for the first time, but Villarreal gamely replied through Spanish international midfielder Marcos Senna.

However, the visitors hopes were finally dashed with 20 minutes remaining when Higuain was on hand to tap home Marcelo’s low pass from the left side of the penalty area.

Kaka somewhat cruelly for Villarreal added a fifth near fulltime and Xabi Alonso scored a penalty to give the scoreline an unbalanced look but gave Real the perfect pep-up following their 1-0 defeat by Lyon in last Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg match in France.

Athletic Bilbao have a European place in their sights after a convincing 4-1 win over ten-man Tenerife.

The Basque side are now one point off sixth-placed Mallorca after a game in which they never looked back following a penalty taken by Fernando Llorente, after a foul by Jose Culberas on Gaizka Toquero for which he was sent-off.

Toquero scored himself from a flick-on by Llorente and then after the break Andoni Iraola added another before Alejandro Alfaro pulled a goal back.

Igor Gabilondo, though, restored the three-goal advantage with just less than half an hour to go.

Malaga continued their good run which has seen them pick up ten points from a possible 12 with a 2-1 win over Espanyol.

The home side went ahead through Fernando Fernandez but Victor Ruiz drew Espanyol level before half-time and while it was they who had the better of the second half, Victor Obinna scored the vital goal to give Malaga victory.

Valladolid lost the chance to win three key points in their battle against relegation as a late goal from Camunas saw Osasuna draw 1-1.

In a frantic finale Haris Medunjanin put the visitors ahead but Javier Camunas gave Osasuna a share of the spoils with four minutes left. Zaragoza are now just one point above Valladolid after they lost 3-1 at home to Sporting Gijon.

Mate Bilic and Luis Moran put Sporting into a commanding lead and then in in injury time there goals for either side from Angel Arizmendi and David Barral.

On Saturday leaders Barcelona put their injury concerns to one side as they cruised to a 4-0 win over Racing Santander.

The Catalan side had seen their lead reduced to two points following their first league defeat last weekend against Atletico Madrid but despite missing several key players they were always in charge against Racing.

Andres Iniesta scored the opener and then Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez added to the lead with free-kicks before substitute Thiago Alcantara made the win more emphatic with a deflected goal six minutes from the end.

On Monday Valencia aim to continue their good run of form which has seen them only lose once in eight games against Getafe.

BARCELONA, Spain (AFP)

Tags: Alejandro Alfaro, athletic bilbao, Barcelona, Bilbao, fernando fernandez, Fernando Llorente, flood victims, former team, France, freekick, fulltime, goal advantage, Jose, last tuesday, league leaders, Lyon, Madeira, MADRID, Malaga, manuel pellegrini, midfielder, nilmar, real madrid, santander, scoreline, senna, Spain, spanish league, Tenerife, Valencia, valladolid, victor ruiz, Villarreal, xabi alonso, Zaragoza

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Nilmar at the double for resurgent Villarreal

In-form Brazilian forward Nilmar scored a brace to help slow-starting Villarreal climb into mid-table with a 3-1 home win over Valladolid on Sunday.

Nilmar had scored in both of Brazil’s last two international games – against England and Oman – and continued his purple patch with two more goals.

Argentine Damian Escudero centred for Nilmar after just six minutes and the Brazilian headed a second two minutes after the break for his third goal of the season as he begins to repay his club record 11 million euro fee.

Villarreal had their worst ever start to a season in the top-flight with just three points from the first six matches but have bounced back to push up the standings plundering 14 goals in their last four games.

“Despite the result it wasn’t easy,” said Villarreal coach Ernesto Valverde.

“I liked what I saw of my team and think we were better so we are happy with how we played as well as the result.”

Elsewhere Real Mallorca maintained their perfect home record making it six wins from six at their Ono Stadium with a late 3-1 victory over Almeria.

Substitute Victor and Gonzalo Castro both scored in the final two minutes as Mallorca closed to within two points of the top four.

“We took our chances and they didn’t take theirs – that’s what made the difference,” said Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano.

In other matches, goal-shy Xerez drew 0-0 with Sporting Gijon to stay second from bottom of the table while Sporting are a creditable seventh.

Malaga continue to prop up the table after a heated 1-1 draw with Real Zaragoza which saw both teams reduced to ten men.

Zaragoza went in front through a highly-disputable 49th minute penalty after Angel Lafita went down theatrically and Brazilian Ewerthon converted the spot-kick.

The game got ugly in the second half and there were two expulsions in as many minutes with Zaragoza left back Javier Paredes awarded a second yellow on 58 minutes for a robust challenge.

Two minutes later Malaga’s Weligton got a straight red for lashing an arm at Raul Goni as he jostled for space in the penalty area.

Malaga equalised to set up a frantic finale containing yellow cards, diving and complaining before Lafita almost won it hitting the post in the final minute.

Later Valencia hope to reclaim fourth place from Deportivo La Coruna, 2-1 victors over Atletico Madrid on Saturday, when they travel to Osasuna.

On Saturday Barcelona were supplanted by Real Madrid at the top with the latter now holding a one-point advantage over Barcelona ahead of next Sunday’s ‘El Clasico’ at Camp Nou.

Real defeated Racing Santander 1-0 at home to move to the summit and Barcelona failed to respond drawing 1-1 at Athletic Bilbao to surrender top spot ahead of the biggest league fixture of the season.

Both teams have important Champions League commitments prior to the Clasico with holders Barcelona hosting Inter Milan on Tuesday and Real entertaining FC Zurich on Wednesday.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: angel lafita, ernesto, ewerthon, expulsions, four games, gonzalo castro, gregorio manzano, international games, mid table, nilmar, perfect home, purple patch, real mallorca, real zaragoza, six minutes, sporting gijon, top flight, two minutes, valladolid, xerez

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Robinho ruled out of Chile match

Brazilian striker Robinho was ruled out on Monday of already qualified Brazil’s 2010 World Cup qualifier with Chile on Wednesday.

The Manchester City star has a bruise on his right leg according to the Brazil coaching staff and will join suspended duo Kaka and Luis Fabiano on the sidelines while there is also a doubt over Elano, who has a foot problem.

Brazil coach Dunga will be left with just two fit strikers in Nilmar and Adriano, in a squad now reduced to 17 which is a huge boost for Chile who can qualify regardless of other results should they beat the Brazilians.

SALVADOR DE BAHIA, Brazil (AFP)

Tags: adriano, brazil, brazilians, bruise, Chile, city star, dunga, foot problem, kaka, luis fabiano, manchester city, match, nilmar, Robinho, Salvador, salvador de bahia brazil, sidelines, strikers, world cup qualifier

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Nilmar feted at Villareal

Spanish Primera Liga side Villareal on Friday presented their new Brazilian player Nilmar da Silva, the most expensive signing in their history.

The club signed Nilmar last week to a five-year contract from Brazilian club Internacional de Purto Alegre for a reported fee of over 10 million euros.

“I know that my signing was one of the biggest efforts in the club’s history,” the 25-year-old striker told a news conference.

“I am filled with pride and responsibility… I know that I here to score and help the team and my hope is win a title.”

He described the negotiations that brought him to Villareal as “difficult.”

“But I was always very excited about playing in Spain because it is similar to Brazilian football,” he said.

He said he already knew Villareal’s Brazilian-born player Marcos Senna, “and I know that a title is needed and they will fight for it. That was an incentive to come here.”

He also spoke about his time at French side Lyon in the 2004-05 season.

“It was my first experience in Europe and it was difficult to adapt because I was very young, but I still got goals … This experience helped me a lot to know what it means to play outside Brazil.”

After the news conference, some 4,000 fans greeted him at El Madrigal stadium.

Villareal finished fifth in the Primera Liga last season, missing out on a Champions League spot but gaining a place in the Europa league.

Nilmar’s presentation had originally been set for Thursday but was postponed by one day after he missed a connecting flight from Brazil.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: 10 million, brazil, brazilian football, Brazilian-born, champions league, connecting flight, da silva, el madrigal, Europe, first experience, Lyon, MADRID, marcos senna, negotiations, news conference, nilmar, pride, Spain, spanish primera liga, striker, villareal

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Nilmar returns to Europe to join Villarreal

Spanish side Villarreal are about to sign Brazilian Nilmar of Internacional, according to club chairman Fernando Roig.

Villarreal are willing to pay 10 million Euros for the 25-year-old, which would set a new club transfer fee record.

“He is a real world class player,” Roig explained. “Next week, he will sign a contract for five seasons.”

Nilmar gained European experience playing for Olympique Lyon in the 2004-05 season, after which he returned to his home country to represent Corinthians and Internacional respectively.

By: Jonathan Roorda

Tags: 10 million, club chairman, corinthians, Europe, european experience, Euros, fernando roig, five seasons, Internacional, Lyon, nilmar, Olympique, olympique lyon, real world, season, spanish side, target, Villarreal, world class player

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