Cristiano Ronaldo’s last-minute header gave Real Madrid a 3-2 victory against Osasuna on Sunday to keep it within one point of Spanish leader Barcelona with three games to play.
Ronaldo leapt at the far post to meet Gonzalo Higuain’s floated cross for his second goal of the match. The Portugal forward’s 22nd goal of the season kept Madrid just behind its closest rival Barcelona, which beat Villarreal 4-1 on Saturday.
"If you lose points now, you lose the title," Ronaldo said.
Osasuna twice led at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium as Carlos Aranda pounced on a defensive mix-up for a seventh-minute opener that was canceled out in the 25th when Ronaldo finished off a run with a powerful shot past Ricardo Lopez.
Osasuna went ahead again in the 42nd when Aranda fed Krisztian Vadocz, who sent a half-volley past goalkeeper Iker Casillas, but the lead was short-lived as Esteban Granero picked Marcelo out between two defenders with a long ball to head home in the 44th.
Barcelona leads with 90 points, while Madrid has 89 from 35 games.
"We’re going to fight to the end and make Barcelona win the championship with 99 points," Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini said.
Mallorca improved its chances of finishing fourth and taking the last Champions League qualifying place by beating Athletic Bilbao 3-1.
Mallorca has 59 points, while Sevilla stayed with it at 57 after Alvaro Negredo’s two first-half penalties led it to a 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid. Valencia is third with 65 points.
Ronaldo came to the rescue with an impressive display after Madrid was in danger of dropping points at the Bernabeu for only the second time in 18 games, having won all of its matches there except a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona last month.
"He, as a player, makes a difference and luckily today it was with us," Pellegrini said.
Raul Albiol’s miscued pass back toward Casillas left Aranda with a perfect opening as he sprinted on to the ball, rounded the Spain goalkeeper and slotted into the empty net.
Lopez did well to deny Ronaldo and Kaka before the Portugal star capped a zigzagging run with a skimming shot which went in at the near post.
Aranda troubled Casillas in the 38th with a header that the keeper caught but four minutes later Madrid’s defense allowed Aranda to control the ball before lobbing a pass into the area for Vadocz to beat Casillas with a rising shot.
Both teams had opportunities in the second half but Osasuna came close to getting the fifth goal as Casillas made a reflex save from Aranda before watching Vadocz and substitute Masoud Soleimani botch a 2-on-0 break in the 67th without getting a shot away.
Kaka made way for striker Karim Benzema as Madrid tried to rediscover its offensive rhythm but Lopez was sharp as he blocked Marcelo’s angled shot in the 78th. He dived to push Ronaldo’s shot from a similar angle out in the 86th before watching the ball fly past him for the late winner.
"The whole team played badly," Ronaldo said. "We can’t allow a team like Osasuna to score goals and create so much danger. We have to remember we’re playing for the league title and be more concentrated."
"It can’t happen again."
Chori Castro headed Mallorca into the lead at the San Mames stadium after 43 minutes but Fernando Llorente sent Athletic into halftime on level terms after heading past goalkeeper Dudu Aouate for his 14th goal of the season.
But Mallorca scored two quick goals after the restart as Jose Carlos Nunes volleyed home a finish following a corner two minutes before former Athletic striker Aritz Aduritz floated a shot over goalie Gorka Iraizoz in the 51st.
At the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, a fifth-minute corner trickled through the area to Luis Fabiano for the Br azil striker to put Sevilla ahead with his 14th of the season. Tiago equalized three minutes later but Juan Valera’s foul on Adriano set up the 13th-minute penalty from Negredo to go ahead for good.
Negredo scored his second spot kick in the 40th, right after Fabiano came off with an ankle sprain that is likely to sideline him until the Copa del Rey final against Atletico on May 19.