Real Madrid's Robinho repays Luxemburgo faith
Robinho rewarded coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo's faith with Real Madrid's opener in yesterday's 2-0 win at Real Betis.
Robinho curled home a right foot shot just before the half hour, while Alvaro Mejia, making his first appearance of the season, headed the second with just over 10 minutes remaining.
The win should temporarily quieten talk of crisis at Madrid, where a defeat would have put Luxemburgo's job under threat.
As it was his side showed enough character to win a game in which a plague of injuries and suspensions stopped either side performing at anywhere near their best.
Robinho gave Madrid the lead after 29 minutes, collecting a square pass from Raul and curling a smart shot in at Toni Doblas' left hand post from just outside of the penalty area.
Mejia doubled Madrid's lead with 11 minutes remaining. The central defender had only just entered the game as a substitute, replacing Diogo in midfield when he ran onto Guti's delightful chip and nodded the ball over the stranded Doblas to seal the points.