Gonzalo Higuain gave Read Madrid manager Jose Mourinho
a firm reminder of his goalscoring prowess, scoring
a hat-trick as his side beat hosts Espanyol 4-0.
Higuain grabbed the first of the game after 17 minutes
and added two more in the second half, with former Espanyol
midfielder Jose Callejon also scoring against his old
team-mates after coming off the bench.
Three points take Real to third in the Primera Division
table with their fourth win of the campaign.
Real pushed forward from the off, Cristiano Ronaldo
missing with an early shot and then narrowly failing
to get on the end of Lassana Diarra's lofted through
ball.
Espanyol had a penalty appeal against the Portuguese
rejected, with an element of symmetry later in the half
as he had a similar claim turned down in the opposite
area.
In the 16th minute Romaric almost ripped up the script
when he lashed a loose ball at the Real goal from just
inside his own half.
Iker Casillas was well off his line and beaten but
the ball went agonisingly wide.
A minute later, the visitors were ahead - Ronaldo touching
the ball on to Higuain to stroke the ball home.
A Xabi Alonso free-kick in the 21st minute almost provided
a second but after a ricochet in the six-yard box goalkeeper
Cristian Alvarez was able to defend his net.
Marcelo tested the keeper with a low drive but despite
an unconvincing take he clung on.
Espanyol forward Sergio Garcia made a strong run at
goal four minutes before the break but Casillas was
down quickly to get fingertips to his shot.
Javi Marquez drilled a long-range shot at Casillas
just before the interval, but again he was on hand with
the save.
Ronaldo was looking for a goal as the second half got
under way, trying his luck from 25 and 20 yards but
failing to work the keeper on either occasion.
Joan Verdu forced Casillas into another save from a
corner on the hour but the next goal came from the scorer
of the first.
Alvaro Arbeloa picked out Higuain's run with a well-judged
ball over the top and the Argentina forward allowed
it bounce before producing a glorious first-time finish
into the far corner.
Cristian Afonso and Vladimir Weiss were lively in attack
after coming from the bench for Espanyol but Real would
not be contained.
Callejon provided the inevitable third after Ronaldo
out-paced the Espanyol defence and teed him up with
a one on one, before Higuain produced a deft finish
from to secure the match ball.
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