Real Madrid 5 - Racing Santander 0

Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Iván Helguera (Pavón 46'), Samuel, Roberto Carlos; Beckham (Guti 73'), Gravesen, Zidane (Figo 74'); Raúl; Owen, Ronaldo. 4-3-1-2.
Racing: Dudu Aouate; Moratón, Oriol, Bertín; Regragui, Anderson Silva, Ayoze; Morán, Benayoun (Jonathan 74'), Regueiro (Arizmendi 69'); Javi Guerrero (Aganzo 69'). 3-3-3-1.

Team changes: Madrid: Michel Salgado, Samuel, Zidane for Celades, Pavón, Solari / Racing: Anderson Silva for Torrado.

Goals:
1-0. 28. Owen. Poked ball past Aouate after Ronaldo crossed in from left.
2-0. 36. Ronaldo (penalty). After Aouate ruled to have pushed Ronaldo in area.
3-0. 53. Raúl. Drove shot past keeper after defence cleared Roberto Carlos cross.
4-0. 72. Raúl. Got on the end of Owen's square pass to shoot wide of keeper.
5-0. 91. Ronaldo. Ran through on to Figo pass to round keeper and score.

Once again Real Madrid put the pressure back on leaders Barcelona after beating Racing Santander 5-0. Luxemburgo's side moved to within three points of the Catalans in the league pending their match at Valencia on Sunday with a seventh straight win in a row.

Madrid were on top right from the start, Dudu Aouate having to turn a shot from Raúl over the bar in the opening minutes and Zidane putting a free kick just wide. The visitors did test Casillas a couple of times with efforts from Javi Guerrero and Morán, but with just under half an hour on the clock Raúl found Ronaldo with a perfectly timed lifted pass for the Brazilian forward to set up Owen for the opening goal.

A few minutes later the hosts were two up, Ronaldo converting a hotly disputed penalty after referee Iturralde González ruled that the Brazilian striker had been fouled by the keeper as they both went for a loose ball. It was 100th goal in the Spanish league including his time with Barcelona. And it could have been more by the break, Zidane shooting just wide and Owen having another effort saved by the keeper.

Racing came out strongly after the restart, and for a few minutes it looked like they might get one back. But Roberto Carlos got away down the left wing, and when Aouate and Bertín failed to clear his cross properly, Raúl took advantage to drill a shot into the back of the net. Regueiro came close to scoring for the locals three minutes later when he curled a free kick against the crossbar, but Ronaldo should have extended the lead when he took a return pass from Owen and rounded the keeper only to mis-hit his shot with the goal gaping in front of him.

The onslaught continued though, and with twenty minutes to go Beckham and Owen combined down the right wing to set up Raúl for him to score his second of the night, and his 250th in a Real Madrid shirt. Substitute Aganzo tried his luck with an overhead kick and Morán shot wide as the locals relaxed, but with the game coming to a close Ronaldo ran on to Figo's pass to round Aouate and finish off the scoreline, taking him to within two goals of leading scorer Eto'o. All eyes are on Mestalla.