Real Madrid vs. Sporting: Score and Reaction from 2016 La Liga Match

Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid extend their lead at the top of La Liga after scoring a brace to beat Sporting Gijon 2-1 on Saturday. Ronaldo bagged two goals in the first half of a game played under heavy rain at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Carlos Carmona hit back for relegation-threatened Sporting just before half-time, as the visitors gave Real more than one scare. Gijon even missed a penalty inside the final 15 minutes when Duje Cop fired high and wide from the spot.

By holding on, Los Blancos stretch their lead to seven points over bitter enemy Barcelona, who play on Sunday.

Real boss Zinedine Zidane picked a progressive 4-4-2 formation with Ronaldo and Karim Benzema up top, according to La Liga English:

James returns to the Real Madrid starting XI at the Bernabeu.#RealMadridSporting pic.twitter.com/WgPorillai

— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) November 26, 2016

It didn’t take long for Los Blancos to punish struggling Sporting. In fact, there was less than five minutes on the clock when winger Lucas Vazquez was felled in the box.

Earning a penalty on home soil is a rarity for La Liga’s leaders, per OptaJose:

1 – First penalty won by Real Madrid this season at Bernabéu and the fastest one in La Liga in the 21st century. Lucas

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 26, 2016

Ronaldo stepped up to the spot with predictable results. In the process, he ended a lengthy barren run in front of goal at the Santiago Bernabeu, according to Squawka Football:

Cristiano Ronaldo scores his first goal at home in LaLiga since 10th September, ending a run of 424 minutes of action without a goal. pic.twitter.com/JoJmvOkNMq

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 26, 2016

Ronaldo’s emphatic finish also meant he continued an incredible streak for hitting a …

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