Real Madrid will welcome FC Barcelona to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium for next Saturday's "Classico" as Primera Liga leaders after Manuel Pellegrini's side enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win away to Racing Santander this Sunday.
A first half penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo and a goal from Gonzalo Higuain were enough to give Real Madrid all three points against a Racing side that rarely threatened and which failed to manage a single shot on target in the entire game.
Real was without suspended duo of Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos and Pellegrini paired Gago and Mohamadou Diarra in central midfield. Racing meanwhile placed its faith in 19-year-old Sergio Canales, who has already agreed a deal to join Real next season.
Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain (C) celebrates his goal against Racing Santander during their Spanish first division soccer match at El Sardinero stadium in Santander April 4, 2010. Real Madrid won 2-0.
Canales had his side's best chance of the game with a chip that drifted just wide of the post after Iker Casillas had failed to claim a ball in the penalty area and was caught off his line.
Madrid took the lead from the penalty sport after 24 minutes. A defensive mix up allowed Ronaldo to advance into the penalty area, where he was brought down by Moraton.
The Madrid number nine picked himself up and made no mistake to put his side ahead.
Racing struggled to react and Madrid was enjoying a relatively easy outing until the home side made a double change midway through the second half.
Oscar Serrano and Ivan Bolado injected some life into the home side and had Arana's cross not flashed inches over Bolado's head after 71 minutes, Racing could have snatched an undeserved equalizer.
Racing Santander's Oscar Serrano Rodriguez (L) fights for the ball with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo during their Spanish first division soccer match at El Sardinero stadium in Santander April 4, 2010.
The chance went begging and five minutes later Higuain assured the points. Guti, who had come on as a substitute hit a diagonal pass, Higuain broke the offside trap and beat Coltori to score Madrid's second.
All that was left was for Ronaldo to fire over an open goal in injury time. Real Madrid goes back to the top of the table and now all attention will be turned onto next weekend's game against Barcelona.
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