Real delay Barca title celebrations

Leaders Barcelona will have to wait at least another week to wrap up the La Liga title after Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice to lead second-placed Real Madrid to a 4-3 comeback success at home to Real Valladolid on Saturday.

If Real had failed to win, victory for Barca against Real Betis at the Nou Camp on Sunday would have secured a fourth title in five years as they would have been at least 13 points clear with only four games left and 12 points available.

“We need to do our job and then see what happens,” Real defender Pepe told Canal Plus.

“We are representing a very big institution that is Real Madrid and we need to have respect for that. Therefore, we need to face every game like this even if theoretically it doesn’t matter.

“We conceded a lot of goals, we didn’t start the game well and I think we have to pressure a little more, but in any case we managed to react.”

Valladolid, who have not taken a point at the Bernabeu in more than a decade, took a surprise eighth-minute lead when Oscar Gonzalez stole in on the right and beat Real goalkeeper Diego Lopez with a low shot.

Real were level in the 26th minute when Marc Valiente deflected an Angel Di Maria shot into his own net before Ronaldo nodded the first of his two headers six minutes later. 

Valladolid struck back almost immediately when Javi Guerra finished off a swift breakaway in the 35th minute and Kaka restored Real’s lead four minutes after the break.

Ronaldo looked to have killed off the game 20 minutes from time when he headed home from a corner, the Portuguese forward’s 33rd league goal of the campaign.

But there was still time for substitute Lluis Sastre to smash home a third for the visitors to set up a nervy finish.

Real’s victory lifted them to 77 points from 34 matches, eight behind Barca and nine ahead of third-placed Atletico Madrid, who play at Deportivo La Coruna later on Saturday.

Valencia stayed in the hunt for a Champions League berth with a thumping 4-0 win at home to nine-man Osasuna but Malaga’s hopes of a return to Europe’s elite club competition faded when they lost 1-0 at Granada.