Racing fail to slow down Real Madrid

Real Madrid kept up the pressure on their great rivals and Spanish league leaders Barcelona by comfortably beating Racing Santander 3-1.

The result means that Real go level with Barca on 23 points, although they have an inferior goal difference and, as the first to kick off this weekend, they have played one game more than the rest of the Spanish first division.

Madrid took the lead less than five minutes into the game when Sergio Ramos rose high above the Racing defence to head home a corner by his fellow Spanish international Jose Antonio Reyes.

Real almost went further ahead seven minutes later when captain Raul Gonzalez found the net with a terrific shot from just outside the area only to be ruled as being just offside.

Racing had a few first half chances, although their main threat Nicola Zigic was off-form, and Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas needed a good save to deny Ezequiel Garay just before half-time.

However, after the break Real reasserted their control of the game.

Reyes, arguably the man of the match, got Real's second with a superb left foot shot from a difficult angle on the edge of the area, after a well-worked move out of the midfield by Mahamadou Diarra and Emerson.

Diarra, finding his form again after several below-par games, then ensured there would be not an upset like 12 months ago when Racing beat Real 2-1 in the corresponding fixture.

The Malian midfielder connected with a pass from Raul to score from close range after 71 minutes.

Garay got a consolation strike for Racing five minutes later but the Argentine defender's first goal of the season was too late to spark a surprise turn-of-events.

The match, which had never been conducted on the most friendly of terms, ended on a sour note for Real when Jose Maria Gutierrez was sent off for hacking down Vitolo Anino three minutes before the whistle. Guti will now miss next week's tricky visit to Valencia.

A minute's silence was held before the match to pay tribute to former Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskas, who died on Friday in his native Budapest at the age of 79.

David Beckham missed Saturday's game with an injured left knee and the former England captain is doubtful for Tuesday's Champions League encounter with French champions Lyon but watched from the VIP enclosure after dashing back from the wedding of his showbiz friend Tom Cruise in Italy.

Spanish champions Barcelona regained the league lead last weekend and they are hoping to consolidate pole position, despite being in the midst of an injury crisis, at Real Mallorca on Sunday.

"The injuries we are accumulating, especially up front, are a nuisance but what can we do about it. We have to keep going forward," said Barca coach Frank Rijkaard on Saturday.

One good bit of news from the Barca medical staff is that his Spanish international midfield playmaker Xavi Hernandez is expected to be fit to play after missing the last three games with a left calf problem.

Sevilla, who started the weekend one place and one point behind Barcelona, play host to Valencia later on Saturday. Valencia have not won in their last three La Liga outings and slipped to sixth.