Hot-shot Aduriz keeps Mallorca home run going

Real Mallorca continued their perfect home record cruising to a 4-1 win over Real Zaragoza on Sunday for a seventh successive league victory at their fortress Ono Stadium to move them one point off the top four.

Top-scorer Aritz Aduriz netted a brace either side of the break to take his season’s tally to seven goals as Mallorca made it a perfect 21 points at home with Barcelona and Real Madrid the only other two teams with a flawless home record.

In other matches, strugglers Racing Santander got a morale-boosting 4-0 away win at Espanyol to move three points above the bottom two. Racing scored all four of their goals in a second half to dismay the home crowd in Barcelona.

Xerez prop up the table with Malaga second from bottom after a 1-1 draw at home to Osasuna and islanders Tenerife came from a goal down to defeat Sporting Gijon 2-1 and move away from the relegation zone into mid-table.

Later on Sunday Villarreal hope to continue their ascent up the league table at home to Getafe.

For Villarreal’s Robert Pires it will be a special game with the France 1998 World Cup winner revealing that Getafe coach Michel, who starred as a player for Real Madrid, was his childhood hero.

“Michel was my idol when I was young,” revealed Pires. “I loved the way he played and always tried to do what he did. As a coach he is trying to do what he did as a player and that’s good as a spectacle.”

Valencia are six points behind Real Madrid and aim to stay in touch with their title rivals with a win at Athletic Bilbao and build confidence for next weekend’s showdown with Real in Sunday’s second late kick-off

Bilbao have started the season well and Emery singled out Spanish international forward Fernando Llorente as the main danger man.

“We have been good away from home but we have an important test against Bilbao,” said Valencia coach Unai Emery. “It is difficult to stop their game with the huge attacking potential of Fernando Llorente.”

Saturday saw Barcelona and Real Madrid both win with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo taking the headlines.

Messi scored twice as Barca won 3-1 at Deportivo La Coruna to stay five points ahead of Real who beat Almeria 4-2 at home.

Ronaldo scored and won a decisive penalty for Real before spoiling his night by being sent off for kicking out late on and strangely didn’t celebrate team-mate Karim Benzema’s goal from his penalty miss preferring to rue his poor spot-kick.

“It is difficult when you miss a penalty not to dwell on it,” said coach Manuel Pellegrini. “It wasn’t bad sportsmanship and he (Ronaldo) doesn’t have a problem with anyone else nor is he selfish.”