Real Madrid, Inter keep title hopes afloat

“Beating Racing brings the title closer but it’s not ours yet,” warned Real coach Bernd Schuster, who also won titles with Real as a player in 1989 and 1990.

“However, I’ve got to be pleased with the way we defended against a very courageous team. They never stopped fighting and they put together some good attacks,” added Schuster.

Raul opened the scoring yesterday after 13 minutes, his 17th goal of the season, when he managed to get a touch to a swerving cross from the left wing by Robinho and divert the ball under the body of Racing goalkeeper Tono Rodriguez.

Racing immediately tried to respond but their repeated attacks were thwarted by Real’s back four of Gabriel Heinze, Fabio Cannavaro, Pepe and Sergio Ramos.

Schuster has called the quartet “the best defence in the world” but injuries and suspensions have meant they have only played together once before in the league this season.

However, Real’s four musketeers did briefly let their guard down at the end of the first half and Cesar Navas almost equalised with a header that just skimmed past the post of Real keeper Iker Casillas.

The hosts, seeking a win that would move them up a place into fourth, kept up the pressure at the start of the second half and Casillas had to pull off an excellent save to deny Mohamed Tchite not long after the break.

Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain ensured three points for Real in injury time when, with Racing pressing forward and leaving gaps at the back, he connected with a pass from fellow second-half substitute Javier Balboa on quick counter-attack.

Goals from Nihat Kahveci and Santi Cazorla helped gave Villarreal a 2-0 victory over Valladolid and moved them up into second place behind Real earlier.

“We are in second place and that’s got to be our objective because it would beat all our previous records. We’ve got just five games to play and the advantage is ours,” said Villarrreal coach Manuel Pellegrini.

Nihat opened the scoring after 15 minutes when the Turkish international picked up a long pass from Cazorla and Cazorla then got himself on the scoresheet barely a minute after the break, after teaming up again with Nihat.

Villarreal are now one point ahead of third-placed Barcelona, who were held to a 0-0 draw with local rivals Espanyol on Saturday.

In the matches next weekend that could decide the title with four games remaining, Real play host to Athletic while Villarreal and Barcelona have tricky away trips to Real Betis and Deportivo la Coruna respectively.

Athletic Bilbao humiliated Valencia 5-1, a result that could lead to Ronald Koeman’s departure in the coming days despite his men winning the Spanish Cup on Wednesday.

Valencia, the 2002 and 2004 Spanish champions and also Champions League finalists twice in the last decade, are now only two points above the relegation zone after winning just once in their last 10 games.

Italian Serie A

Inter Milan executed the perfect smash-and-grab raid to win 1-0 at Torino and open up a six-point gap at the top of Serie A with just four games left.

Julio Cruz’s brilliant diving header on the half hour from Mario Balotelli’s corner proved the difference in a game that saw the leaders dominated for large periods on Sunday.

Torino lacked the finishing touch of their visitors and almost conceded a second minutes after the first when teenage striker Balotelli’s deflected volley came back off the post. Torino’s best chance fell to Nicola Ventola seven minutes from time after a mistake by Nicolas Burdisso but the striker shot straight at Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar. Inter midfielder Dejan Stankovic admitted the champions had been lucky.

“We played really badly but you can’t alway win and put on a show,” he said. “Tonight we had to work really hard for the three points.”

World player of the year Kaka scored a hat-trick as AC Milan beat lowly Reggina 5-1 at the San Siro to keep alive their Champions League qualification hopes.

Milan are still four points behind Fiorentina, who beat Palermo 1-0 at home on Saturday, with four matches to play as they chase that crucial fourth place and a slot in Europe’s premier competition next season.

Sixth-placed Sampdoria stayed level on points with Milan as they beat Udinese 3-0 at home, leaving the seventh-placed north-easterners eight points behind Fiorentina and out of the Champions League race.

Third-placed Juventus need only one more point to ensure they play Champions League football next season as veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory at Atalanta.

Milan got off to a flying start with Kaka putting them ahead from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Francesco Modesto.

Luca Vigiani brought down veteran Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf on 34 minutes and Kaka held his nerve a second time from 12 yards.

But five minutes before the break, Reggina pulled one back through Edgar Barreto, who sent a fizzing strike into the top corner of Australian goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac’s net.

Kaka completed his treble with a low right-footed shot from the left into the far corner and super-poacher Filippo Inzaghi mopped up the loose ball after substitute Pato’s shot was turned onto a post by goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo. Pato put the final gloss on the result, heading home a cross from French midfielder Yohann Gourcuff.

“For us the motivation is finishing fourth,” said Kaka. “We’re still in there, we still hope, we believe and we’re working for this. Fiorentina are having a great season but we can do it

and we believe in ourselves.”

Juventus killed off woeful Atalanta inside six minutes with Del Piero starring. Nicola Legrottaglie headed home the forward’s free-kick in the first minute and then Del Piero slotted home a pass from David Trezeguet on six minutes.

On 34 minutes the evergreen striker beat the offside trap to score and midway through the second half he latched onto another Trezeguet flick to cooly slot home past Ferdinando Coppola.

Tempers flared in Parma as the hosts lost 2-1 to Napoli with four players – three from Parma – sent off.

Second-placed AS Roma’s Serie A title hopes suffered a blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw by then rock bottom Livorno at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

Roma suffered a double blow when captain Francesco Totti was ruled out for the season following knee surgery on Sunday.