(Fox Sports) – Real Madrid extended their lead atop the Spanish La Liga standings following a 2-1 win over fourth-place Valencia, in a thrilling showdown that was marred by lightening strikes in both halves.
Second-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Marco Asensio gave Madrid the win in the back half, although both goals were served up in the final 10 minutes. Diego Llorente tied the match for Valencia just before the break, and Valencia head coach Marcelino Lopez set a fine example of fighting spirit as he competed to leave the stadium with his players, through a blaze of lightning that struck just before the start of the second half.
It was a dramatic finish to a thrilling game between the leaders and the latest contenders for the team that will see its season slip away following the World Cup.
With a match victory on Wednesday, Real Madrid will go seven points clear of second-place Sevilla with six matches remaining.
Second-place Sevilla should at least leapfrog Girona in the standings, if the third-place Catalan side has a defeat on Sunday.
The away side got off to a promising start when second-half substitute Ibai Gomez redirected the ball past Thibaut Courtois on the rebound after former Barcelona player Gerard Pique put Pique in alone on goal. Pique had his own goal disallowed late in the first half on a call that was challenged by Madrid assistant manager Mateo Kovacic.
That first goal sparked Madrid to life, and the two-time defending champions soon took the lead when Cristiano Ronaldo beat Jaume Domenech with a glancing header that gave the Spanish giants a 1-0 lead.
Just before the hour mark, Louis van Gaal’s Valencia dominated the possession but Diego Llorente slashed home the equalizer, playing a deft cross in to the path of Vincenzo Montella’s side that went in off the inside of the post.
The halftime lightening was enough to keep Madrid’s players indoors, and the bad news continued with an injury-time lunge from Pique on Denis Cheryshev that left the Russian hobbling off the field.
The two sides battled for the rest of the match, but few would have been surprised if that tactical approach was the norm on a sunny Tuesday night in La Liga. Ronaldo was left on the bench for most of the game, and his exact playing role at the World Cup will be determined by coach Santiago Solari.
Bayern Munich took control of the Der Klassiker against Leipzig with a 1-0 victory in Berlin, as Corentin Tolisso — fresh off his France call-up — scored on a counterattack midway through the second half to give the German side the win.
It was the second loss in a row for Leipzig and their second straight defeat in the league, and the defending Bundesliga champions moved to within one point of Bundesliga-leading Borussia Dortmund.
The Eagles of Manchester should have been out of sight a man short before halftime after Marouane Fellaini was sent off in the closing minutes of the first half for a challenge on Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita.
Fellaini picked up a second yellow card for jumping into Keita and competing to bump him off the ball, and he was promptly dismissed by German referee Felix Brych.
New York City FC moved back into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, as David Villa and Khiry Shelton both found the back of the net in a 2-0 victory over New England Revolution in a match that ended under the floodlights at Yankee Stadium.
FC Dallas rallied to take a 2-2 draw at Sporting Kansas City in the 11th minute of stoppage time.
Elsewhere, Montreal was humbled 4-1 at Atlanta United, while nine-time defending champion Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund drew 1-1 in the first leg of the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Final, which will take place on July 11 at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
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