Soccer

Rodrygo’s double restores Real Madrid’s eight-point lead at the top of LaLiga

Athletic Bilbao were beaten at the Bernabeu.

Rodrygo scored twice as Real Madrid extended their lead at the top of La Liga (AP Photo/M. Gracia Jimenez)
Rodrygo scored twice as Real Madrid extended their lead at the top of La Liga (AP Photo/M. Gracia Jimenez) (M. Gracia Jimenez/AP)

Real Madrid restored their eight point lead at the top of LaLiga by beating Athletic Bilbao 2-0.

Rodrygo opened the scoring for Real with a stunning strike into the top corner just eight minutes into the match before earning his second after the break to extend their lead at the summit, while Athletic remain fourth.

Cristhian Stuani struck late for Girona who kept their Champions League hopes alive with a 3-2 win over Real Betis.

Artem Dovbyk’s impressive season continued as he took his league goal tally to 16 overall this season after scoring a brace, the first a penalty, but Willian Jose’s double for Betis looked to have earned a draw until Stuani’s close-range finish secured three points.

Real Sociedad sit six points behind Atletico Madrid after Jon Pacheco Dozagarat’s goal earned a 1-0 win over Alaves, while Celta Vigo’s clash with Rayo Vallecano finished goalless.

Ten-man Paris St Germain equalled the Ligue 1 record for the most consecutive away games without defeat after beating Marseille 2-0 in Le Classique.

They equalled Lyon’s record of 21 games set between March 2005 and April 2006 as second-half goals from Vitinha and Goncalo Ramos secured victory for the visitors, who had Lucas Beraldo’s sent off in the first half.

Brest remain 12 points behind leaders PSG after Romain Del Castillo struck late to beat strugglers Lorient 1-0 and they saw the game out with 10-men after substitute Billal Brahimi was sent off six minutes into stoppage time.

Strasbourg earned back-to-back league wins with two goals in two minutes from Marvin Senaya and Jeremy Sebas secured a 2-0 win over Rennes, while Nantes improved their survival hopes with a 2-1 win at Nice.

Goncalo Ramos scored for PSG who remain top of Ligue 1 (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
Goncalo Ramos scored for PSG who remain top of Ligue 1 (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) (Daniel Cole/AP)

Matthis Abline fired them ahead before Nice drew level from Terem Moffi’s 72nd minute penalty, but Nantes went back in front four minutes later as Mustafa Mohamed converted from the spot.

Vincent Sierro bagged a brace either side of Thijs Dallinga’s strike as Toulouse returned to winning ways with a 3-0 win against bottom club Clermont and two goals in eight minutes from Jordan Ferri and Christopher Jullien helped Montpellier earn a 2-0 win over Le Havre.

Deniz Undav scored a late equaliser for Stuttgart as they drew 3-3 with 10-man Heidenheim in the Bundesliga.

Third-placed Stuttgart took control with goals from Serhou Guirassy and Angelo Stiller before Heidenheim pulled one back through Alexander Nubel’s own goal.

A dramatic finale saw Tim Kleindienst score two goals in the space of one minute to hand Heidenheim the lead, but they were reduced to 10 in the sixth minute of stoppage-time when Nikola Dovedan was sent off and Undav levelled two minutes later.

Augsburg’s four-game winning run in the league came to an end as Davie Selke’s goal for Cologne cancelled out Arne Maier’s opener.

The battle at the bottom of the table saw Darmstadt come from behind to draw 2-2 with Bochum. Philipp Hoffman’s double had the hosts in control but Tim Skarke pulled one back before Oscar Vihelmsson found an equaliser to salvage a point for the bottom club.