Almeria 1-4 Real Madrid

If Cristiano Ronaldo keep up his current scoring rate he could end the season with 66 league goals

Real Madrid sealed their 20th victory in a row in all competitions as Cristiano Ronaldo scored two more goals in a victory at Almeria.

Real have won every match since 13 September and are four off the world record of Brazilians Coritiba in 2011.

The visitors led 2-1 at half-time with Isco and Gareth Bale scoring either side of Verza's strike for Almeria.

Iker Casillas saved a Verza penalty before Ronaldo's late brace took his season tally to 32 goals in 23 games.

The last time Real Madrid failed to win a match was their 2-1 defeat by Atletico Madrid almost three months ago.

They broke Barcelona's Spanish record of 18 wins in a row on Tuesday against Ludogorets in the Champions League - and few predicted anything other than a comfortable 20th consecutive victory in Friday's trip to Andalusia.

Remarkable Ronaldo

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 25 goals in 14 La Liga games this season (having missed one match). If he keeps up that scoring rate, he will hit 66 league goals this season.

Almeria, who dropped into the bottom three on goal difference with the defeat, had Miguel Rivera in caretaker charge for one game after the sacking of Francisco Javier Rodriguez, with Juan Ignacio Martinez taking over after this match.

It took Carlo Ancelotti's side 34 minutes to take the lead through Isco's fantastic curling effort, the midfielder starting in place of the injured James Rodriguez. But five minutes later Verza had levelled with a stunning half-volley.

However they trailed at half-time through Gareth Bale's header from Toni Kroos's cross.

Gareth Bale has scored 22 goals in 39 La Liga appearances

The turning point of the game came when Almeria won a penalty midway through the second half but Casillas guessed right to keep out Verza's effort.

Ronaldo had a poor game with his only contribution until the 81st minute being a yellow card - but he scored two late goals, with a near-post effort and a shot into an empty net, taking his tally to 25 goals in 14 La Liga games this season.

Real are now five points clear of Barcelona, who have a game in hand, as they prepare to go to Morocco for the Club World Cup.

They take on Cruz Azul or Western Sydney Wanderers in Tuesday's semi-final, with the final to be played next Saturday.

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Almería

• 25Martínez
• 2Macedo Rocha Machado
• 4Navarro Jiménez
• 5Trujillo
• 3Vélez JiménezBooked at 64minsSubstituted forGarcía Pérez-Roldánat 82'minutes
• 7García RabascoBooked at 11mins
• 22Partey
• 17Méndez Ortega
• 23SorianoBooked at 52minsSubstituted forWellingtonat 67'minutes
• 16DubarbierBooked at 30minsSubstituted forSundy Zongoat 59'minutes
• 10Hemed

Substitutes

• 1Cuesta Díaz
• 6Dos Santos
• 8Wellington
• 11González Casín
• 15García Pérez-Roldán
• 19Sundy Zongo
• 31Azeez

Real Madrid

• 1Casillas
• 15Carvajal
• 3Pepe
• 2Varane
• 12MarceloBooked at 57mins
• 24IllarramendiBooked at 62mins
• 8Kroos
• 23Isco
• 11BaleBooked at 24mins
• 9BenzemaSubstituted forda Silva Coentrãoat 85'minutes
• 7Cristiano RonaldoBooked at 76mins

Substitutes

• 5da Silva Coentrão
• 13Navas
• 14Hernández
• 17Arbeloa
• 18Nacho
• 20Rodríguez Ruiz
• 26Medrán

Referee:

Alfonso Álvarez Izquierdo

Attendance:

15,000

Match Stats

Home TeamAlmeríaAway TeamReal Madrid

Possession

Home39%

Away61%

Shots

Home16

Away15

Shots on Target

Home3

Away8

Corners

Home2

Away8

Fouls

Home14

Away8

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Almería 1, Real Madrid 4.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+2'

Second Half ends, Almería 1, Real Madrid 4.

Posted at 90'+2'

Offside, Real Madrid. Marcelo tries a through ball, but Gareth Bale is caught offside.

Posted at 90'+1'

Attempt saved. Marcelo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Isco.

Posted at 90'

Attempt missed. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right misses to the left.

Posted at 90'

Attempt saved. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Goal!

Posted at 88'

Goal! Almería 1, Real Madrid 4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Daniel Carvajal.

Posted at 87'

Corner, Almería. Conceded by Raphael Varane.

Substitution

Posted at 85'

Substitution, Real Madrid. Fábio Coentrão replaces Karim Benzema.

Posted at 85'

Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 85'

Foul by Jonathan (Almería).

Posted at 83'

Attempt blocked. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pepe with a cross.

Substitution

Posted at 82'

Substitution, Almería. Corona replaces Fran Vélez.

Goal!

Posted at 81'

Goal! Almería 1, Real Madrid 3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Karim Benzema.

Posted at 80'

Offside, Real Madrid. Gareth Bale tries a through ball, but Toni Kroos is caught offside.

Posted at 80'

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Ángel Trujillo.

Posted at 79'

Offside, Real Madrid. Asier Illarramendi tries a through ball, but Toni Kroos is caught offside.

Posted at 78'

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Wellington.

Posted at 77'

Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 77'

Foul by Fran Vélez (Almería).

Booking

Posted at 76'

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 76'

Foul by Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid).

Posted at 76'

Ximo Navarro (Almería) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 76'

Attempt blocked. Jonathan (Almería) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Thomas Partey.

Posted at 75'

Attempt missed. Edgar (Almería) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Jonathan.

Posted at 74'

Attempt missed. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Isco.

Posted at 74'

Attempt blocked. Thomas Partey (Almería) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Raphael Varane (Real Madrid).

Posted at 73'

Edgar (Almería) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 72'

Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Marcelo.

Posted at 70'

Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Asier Illarramendi.

Posted at 68'

Attempt missed. Edgar (Almería) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Wellington with a cross.

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Almería. Wellington replaces Fernando Soriano.

Posted at 66'

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Ángel Trujillo.

Posted at 65'

Attempt missed. Isco (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Toni Kroos following a corner.

Posted at 65'

Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Fran Vélez.

Booking

Posted at 64'

Fran Vélez (Almería) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 63'

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 63'

Foul by Fran Vélez (Almería).

Posted at 62'

Penalty saved! Verza (Almería) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.

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