By DPA
Madrid : A 1-0 win against rivals Barcelona has left Real Madrid seven points clear at the top of football’s Spanish Liga.
Real were superior to dull Barca and easily could have won by more than the lone goal, scored in the 36th minute by Brazilian midfielder Julio Baptista.
The win Sunday leaves Real with 41 points from 17 games – seven more than second-place Barca – and well positioned to retain the league title.
Bernd Schuster’s team turned in a mature and accomplished display, controlling the match from start to finish and silencing the capacity 98,000 crowd in the Camp Nou.
Defender Pepe almost headed Real ahead in the 12th minute. Barca’s first chance came in the 34th minute, when Ronaldinho forced a sharp save from Iker Casillas.
The only goal came two minutes later. A rapid Real counter led to a precise one-two between Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Baptista, who beat Victor Valdes with a fierce half-volley.
Barca were sorely missing the injured Lionel Messi. Ronaldinho was looking duller and slower than ever, while Xavi Hernandez and Deco were losing the midfield battle against Baptista and Mahamadou Diarra.
Real were content to soak up the pressure and play on the counter in the second half, with Sergio Ramos pouring forward down the right and Robinho causing trouble down the left.
Ramos and Van Nistelrooy missed good chances to put Barca out of their misery.
Barca came forward at the end more out of obligation than conviction. Teenage sub Bojan Krkic forced a sharp save out of Casillas, with Yaya Toure heading the resulting corner wide.
The impressive Pepe prevented Samuel Eto’o from equalizing in the usual frenetic finale.
Earlier Sunday, Espanyol had moved up to third with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid. Espanyol won with second-half goals from Spain strikers Raul Tamudo and Luis Garcia – and thanks to red cards for Atletico’s Argentines Sergio Aguero and Walter Pernia.
Espanyol now have 33 points from 17 games, just one point less than Barcelona.
Villarreal are fourth on 32 after being held to a 1-1 draw by Recreativo Huelva. Javier Camunas gave Huelva the lead in the 38th minute, only for Nihat Kahveci to quickly level for Villarreal. Villarreal, who have not won at home for three games, created few chances to win, and Huelva had few problems holding on for a draw.
Atletico Madrid fall to fifth on 31 points.
In Sunday’s other early games, Osasuna beat Mallorca 3-1, Valladolid and Betis drew 0-0, and bottom team Levante crashed 1-0 at home to Deportivo Coruna on a late goal from veteran Sergio Gonzalez. Sunday’s late game was a dull 1-1 draw between Athletic Bilbao and Murcia.
Levante have just seven points and are 10 points behind Deportivo, the penultimate team.
Then come Betis and Valladolid on 18 points and three teams -Murcia, Almeria and Bilbao – on 19.