Rayo Vallecano kept Real Madrid at bay for an hour.Cristiano Ronaldo looked dejected for sixty minutes, looking down at the ground with that look of anger and frustration which weighs so heavily on him that he struggles to lift his head. He was taunted from the stands by the Rayo faithful for an hour, which is why, when he scored, he leapt into the air and let out all that frustration with an almighty yell.
Dani Carvajal set him up for Real's opener, the perfect present, gift-wrapped with a ribbon. CR7 was happy to accept it. The Portuguese gave Real Madrid the lead on 67 minutes, cutting Barça's lead to four points, and scoring his 37th league goal of the campaign, his 301st for the club. It was a crucial goal, the type that wins silverware, or at the very least allows you the chance to keep challenging.
Cristiano and James Rodríguez were exactly what Real Madrid needed to get something out of their trip across town to Vallecas, and their partnership began to bear fruit after ‘Los Blancos’ took the lead (1-0). They had tried several times before that, but failed miserably. They began to fire on all cylinders after the break. The Colombian stepped on the gas and brought some pace to the game. He linked up well with Cristiano, tried to break down Rayo's solid defence and found their just rewards. CR7 set up James, who sealed the win with pinpoint accuracy.
Their partnership worked like a dream against Granada, and in Vallecas, despite taking some time to get up to speed, they put in another match-winning performance. Real Madrid's Portuguese and Colombian dynamic duo are leading their club's quest to make up ground on league leaders Barcelona. Los Blancos' number 7 and number 10, both suspended for the game against Eibar, were their team's guiding light on a dark night in Vallecas.
