IMAGE: Vinicius Junior, right, celebrates with teammate Eder Militao after scoring Real Madrid’s second goal against Elche on Saturday. Photograph: Pablo Morano/Reuters
Real Madrid moved back to the top of La Liga as Vinicius Junior scored both goals in a 2-1 victory at Elche on Saturday.
Elche provided stiff opposition and went close when Lucas Boye forced a fine save from Thibaut Courtois but they were ultimately undone by two classy finishes by the Brazilian.
Real went ahead in the 22nd minute when an error by Elche defender Johan Mojica allowed Casemiro to play a pass to Mariano Diaz who teed up Vinicius with a cute backheel.
Elche hunted an equaliser after the break but they suffered a blow when Raul Guti picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Toni Kroos and shortly afterwards Vinicius made it 2-0 after a sublime finish from a pass by Luka Modric.
Even then it was not straightforward as Pere Milla pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 86th after a stray pass by Casemiro but Carlo Ancelotti’s side held on for the points.
Victory lifted them back above Real Sociedad on goal difference with 24 points with Sevilla also on 24 after they beat Osasuna 2-0 at home with Diego Carlos and Lucas Ocampos both on target for the hosts.
Ancelotti was wholesome in his praise for Vinicius.
“He’s playing with confidence right now and everything is coming off for him,” the Italian said. “He’s getting used to playing further inside because he’s got the pace to do it.
“It’s one thing to take players on out wide and another to do it in the centre of the box. He’s learning gradually and he’s doing a great job. If he’s not playing, he needs to be patient, he got his chance today and did a brilliant job.”
Barcelona held by Alaves in first game since Koeman sacking
IMAGE: Barcelona’s third consecutive league game without a win left them ninth in the standings, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid. Photograph: Alex Caparros/Getty Images
Barcelona’s miserable LaLiga campaign continued as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by lowly Alaves on Saturday in their first match since the sacking of coach Ronald Koeman.
Barca’s third consecutive league game without a win left them ninth in the standings, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.
After a cagey first half, Dutch forward Memphis Depay put Barcelona ahead four minutes after the interval with a fine strike from outside the penalty area.
The lead lasted only three minutes, however, as Alaves winger Luis Rioja conjured up an excellent equaliser, playing a neat one-two with Joselu before rounding Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to score.
Barcelona also suffered injury blows when striker Sergio Aguero and defender Gerard Pique were forced off ahead of their Champions League clash at Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday.
After defeats by Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano which led to Koeman sacking, only 37,000 fans turned up at the Camp Nou to see the first game under caretaker coach Sergi Barjuan, the club’s worst attendance for 20 years.
“It’s another coach but the ideas are the same. We have the ball but we keep struggling to score,” Barcelona defender Jordi Alba told reporters.
Eric Garcia had Barca’s best opportunity in the first half with a header and Aguero’s long-distance shot flew wide but the best chance fell to Alaves’s Edgar Mendes.
Barcelona came out with more aggressive intent after the interval and Depay produced a stunning strike to register his fifth goal of the season.
Rioja responded quickly, however, running on to Joselu’s backheel to round Ter Stegen and place the ball into an empty net.
Barcelona’s 17-year-old midfielder Gavi dribbled past four Alaves defenders and set up Memphis whose effort hit the post and Nico also created a chance for the Dutchman which was saved by keeper Antonio Sivera.
Alaves remained 16th in the standings.
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