MADRID, April 29 (Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo struck his
43rd league goal of the campaign to set Real Madrid on their way
to a 3-0 home win over Sevilla on Sunday that put them within a
whisker of a first La Liga title in four years.
It was a much-needed return to winning ways for Jose
Mourinho’s side after the shock of Wednesday’s Champions League
semi-final elimination by Bayern Munich and they could clinch
the title later on Sunday if second-placed Barcelona lose at
Rayo Vallecano (1930 GMT).
Karim Benzema contributed a quickfire double early in the
second half as Real moved on to 91 points with three games left,
with Barca, whose three-year stranglehold on the Spanish title
is almost certainly drawing to an end, 10 adrift on 81.
The holders were also dumped out of Europe in midweek,
losing 3-2 on aggregate to Chelsea on Tuesday, and were stunned
three days later by the news that coach Pep Guardiola was
stepping down after four years during which he led the team to
13 trophies.
(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Clare Fallon)
