A sole Gonzalo Higuain goal was enough to earn Real Madrid three points against Racing Saturday, in a drab encounter at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid laboured to an uninspiring yet vital win over Racing Santander, thanks to a goal from Gonzalo Higuain.
Juande Ramos placed his trust in Rafael Van Der Vaart in midfield, replacing the suspended Fernando Gago.
Racing Santander, meanwhile, paired Nikola Zigic with Mohamed Tchite up front, in the absence of Pedro Munitis.
Both sides saw plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges, without creating any clear cut chances. Their respective tactics were predictable; Real Madrid were looking for Arjen Robben at every opportunity, while Racing Santander always had Zigic in their sights.
Both Sergio Ramos and Zigic had half-chances with headers early on, but despite the space on offer in midfield, neither side could quite break through up front. Gonzalo Higuain came close on 25 minutes, but his shot was well saved by Tono, after had had been set up by Robben.
The home side were gaining in confidence, as they began to attack with more intent, almost exclusively through Robben. He created another chance for Van Der Vaart, but his attempted chip could not clear the Racing keeper. That was as close as anyone came to scoring until the 40th minute, when Jonathan Pereira's shot from the edge of the box was well tipped over by Casillas.
The half petered out to an uninspiring close, as both sides managed to cancel out their opponent's respective attacks with ease, due to their increasing predictability. Raul had a chance from a header from a tight angle just before the break, but he could only head wide from Robben's corner. Higuain then had two shots, but they were both blocked by the defence.
The only fire on the pitch was off the ball, as both sides consistently clashed over some contentious tackles. The referee blew the whistle, but the arguments continued into the tunnel, as club officials from both sides had to separate the two sides. The fans, meanwhile, hoped the tension would spark the players into something more productive in the second period.
With the fans expectant, Real Madrid came out all guns blazing in the second half, with Higuain and Robben getting crosses in within 30 seconds. The momentum was with the home side, and it was not long before they took the lead. Receiving the ball on the right, Higuain cut inside before cooly slotting past Tono, to give Madrid a vital lead.
Racing were shocked, and they almost went further behind when Higuain was released, but he took the ball too far past Tono. Seconds later, he had another great chance, after Pepe released him on the right, but Tono pulled off a smart save.
On the hour, Julien Faubert got his first taste of the Bernabeu, as he replaced an unhappy Arjen Robben, who had once again been one of Madrid's best players. Racing, meanwhile, brought on another Frenchman, Peter Luccin, who replaced Lacen.
With Robben off the pitch, a lot of the sting went out of the game, as Madrid appeared content to protect their lead. Further to that intent, Juande Ramos withdrew Wesley Sneijder for the more defensive Javi Garcia.
With twenty minutes left, Racing should have gone ahead, but some desperate defending from the home side saved the day. A diving Casillas got to the ball ahead of the onrushing Pereira, but just when he looked likely to nod the ball into an empty net, a combination of Pepe and Cannavaro cleared at the last second. It was an encouraging sign for the away team, who were now being afforded more time on the ball.
Sensing the need for defensive reinforcement, Ramos replaced Van der Vaart with Marcelo, much to the consternation of the crowd. Zigic had a minor chance with five minutes left, but his glancing header trickled just wide of the far post. He then had an excellent chance with minutes remaining, but he could only head over the bar after being found by Valera.
Eventually, Real Madrid hung on for another win, despite Racing's best intentions. It was not convincing by any means, but Juande Ramos will be unconcerned, as Los Merengues continue to keep their faint title hopes alive.