By DPA
Madrid : Real Madrid restored their four-point lead at the top of Spanish Primera Liga football with a 2-0 home win over lowly Osasuna.
As so often this season, Real did not play particularly well, but won thanks to their superior firepower here Sunday. The latest win – with goals from Dutchmen Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Wesley Sneijder – keeps intact Real’s 100 percent home record – and means that they will go to Barcelona for next Sunday’s big game with a four-point lead.
Real now have 38 points from 16 games, Barca have 34.
Before the game in Madrid there was a brief ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Osasuna made a lively start, but went behind in the 16th minute, when the unmarked Van Nistelrooy headed in a free-kick from Sneijder.
The visitors pressed hard for an equalizer but lacked punch in attack.
In the 75th minute, Sneijder made it 2-0 by culminating a flowing move with a fierce right-foot drive from the edge of the area.
In joint third place now, on 31 points, are Atletico Madrid and Villarreal.
Atletico drew 0-0 away to Recreativo Huelva earlier Sunday, and Villarreal won 3-1 away to Getafe, with two goals from little striker Nihat Kahveci.
In fifth place are Espanyol, who beat bottom team Levante 1-0 on Saturday. Still in sixth place are Racing Santander, 2-1 losers away to spirited Murcia on Sunday.
In seventh place, one point below Santander, are crisis club Valencia.
Mallorca stay in eighth place, after a 0-0 draw with Athletic Bilbao, while Sevilla remain ninth.
Sevilla battled out a goalless draw in Valladolid, despite having South Americans Luis Fabiano and Federico Fazio sent off in a stormy second half.
League top scorer Luis Fabiano, always an explosive character, now faces a lengthy suspension after being sent off for hitting Valladolid defender Alexis.
In Sunday’s other early games, Deportivo Coruna salvaged a late 1-1 draw at home to Zaragoza, and Betis came from behind to beat Almeria 3-1, with two goals from Mariano Pavone.
Levante are rock bottom with just seven points. Then come Deportivo with 14, and a trio of teams – Betis, Valladolid and Osasuna – on 17.
Sunday’s games were overshadowed by the critical condition of Guillermo Amor.
The former Barcelona and Spain midfielder is in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Tortosa, having suffered multiple injuries in a road accident driving back from Saturday night’s Valencia-Barcelona clash.