Ronaldo scored both goals, Real moved seven points ahead of Barca

CR7 scored a double in just the first 18 minutes, helping Real Madrid beat Sporting Gijon 2-1 in round 13 of La Liga.

Ronaldo shines at the right time in Real's shirt. Photo: Reuters

Goals: Ronaldo 5' penalty, 18' - Carlos Carmona 35'

Hosting Sporting Gijon at the Bernabeu, Real easily took a 2-0 lead after just 18 minutes. Ronaldo was the author of both goals thanks to a penalty and a header like an arrow.

With a little luck, Gijon could have come away with a point. They pulled a goal back in the 35th minute thanks to Carmona's connected kick, before a penalty missed by Duje Cop in the 78th minute.

Winning the early game, Real not only consolidated their lead but also moved seven points ahead of second-placed Barca. This will put pressure on Barca in the late game: away at Sociedad. In recent seasons, Messi and his teammates have dropped points when playing Sociedad.

To replace Gareth Bale who was injured, coach Zidane let Lucas Vazquez start on the right wing. This option proved to be feasible when Vazquez had many effective attacking situations. One of them was when this player was fouled in the Gijon penalty area in the fifth minute. Not missing the opportunity from the 11m mark, Ronaldo easily opened the score for Real.

Besides the goal that broke the deadlock with spiritual significance, CR7 also had another goal that conquered the audience in the first half. When the match had just entered the 18th minute, receiving a cross from the left wing, this striker flew up and headed beautifully to double the gap. This was also the 10th goal in 10 matches that Ronaldo participated in since the beginning of the La Liga 2016-2017 season.

Ronaldo scored a penalty against Gijon in the fifth minute.

If he had taken all the chances he had, Ronaldo could have had a hat-trick or four goals. He had a dribble from the middle that went straight at the goalkeeper, before missing another run with no defender in front of him. Benzema also missed a chance when he headed the ball from five yards out into the goalkeeper's hands.

In a pressured match, Gijon caused quite a surprise when they created a few dangerous situations for Real's goal. The away team even had an early equalizer when Carlos Carmona tapped the ball in precisely in the 35th minute, after Luka Modric's wrong pass. If they had been luckier, Gijon could have equalized 2-2 in the 78th minute thanks to Duje Cop's penalty. On the 11m mark, Cop fired a shot over the bar while goalkeeper Navas misjudged the direction. This situation ruined Victor Rodriguez's dribbling effort, leading to Nacho's foul earlier.

Carmona's equalizer was not enough for Gijon to get a point.

With the victory over Gijon, Real has prepared well for El Clasico next weekend. Even if Barca wins against Sociedad tonight (November 27), Zidane's team will still come to the Nou Camp as guests with a four-point advantage.

According to VNE