Real Madrid vs. Sporting: Score and Reaction from 2016 La Liga Match

Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid extend their lead at the top of La Liga after scoring a brace to beat Sporting Gijon 2-1 on Saturday. Ronaldo bagged two goals in the first half of a game played under heavy rain at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Carlos Carmona hit back for relegation-threatened Sporting just before half-time, as the visitors gave Real more than one scare. Gijon even missed a penalty inside the final 15 minutes when Duje Cop fired high and wide from the spot.

Ultimately, Real held on to allow manager Zinedine Zidane to equal an unbeaten run set by former Los Merengues chief Carlo Ancelotti, according to ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan.

By holding on, Los Blancos stretch their lead to seven points over bitter enemy Barcelona, who play on Sunday.

Zidane picked a progressive 4-4-2 formation with Ronaldo and Karim Benzema up top, according to La Liga English:

It didn't take long for Los Blancos to punish struggling Sporting. In fact, there was under five minutes on the clock when winger Lucas Vazquez was felled in the box.

Earning a penalty on home soil is a rarity for La Liga's leaders, per OptaJose:

Ronaldo stepped up to the spot with predictable results. In the process, he ended a lengthy barren run in front of goal at the Santiago Bernabeu, according to Squawka Football:

Ronaldo's emphatic finish also meant he continued an incredible streak for hitting a half-century of goals annually, per Sky Sports Statto:

Real's prolific No. 7 hasn't been the only one setting impressive marks with his goalscoring. He's helped Los Merengues become one of the most ruthless sides on the continent:

Ronaldo and Real's ruthless streaks were soon evident again. Zidane's men put together a marauding and stylish move that Ronaldo ended with a thumping header.

The pace and timing of his run were terrific, as were the height and form of his jump. Admittedly, Ronaldo didn't need to strain himself much in order to meet a superb cross from a surprising source.

Nacho teased in the delivery, one flighted well enough to take several Sporting defenders out of the game.

Getting his head to accurate crosses is something Ronaldo specialises in. Nobody does it better at the top level in Europe, according to Squawka:

Yet for all of Ronaldo's domination in the first half, Real still went in at the break with only a slender lead. Carmona's goal was no less than Sporting merited for a spirited fightback and some quality play going forward.

Ronaldo played well during the opening 45 minutes, but few others in the Real starting XI could say the same. One player who particularly disappointed was fellow striker Benzema.

Corrigan cited information from WhoScored.com to conclude Zidane's tactics weren't suiting the No. 9:

Benzema's issues were still evident after the break, a fact that gave the visitors hope. Real's disjointed forward line meant many attacks broke down, giving Sporting more than one opportunity on the break.

Sensing the need for change, Zidane wisely altered the formation, according to Alex Kirkland of Real Madrid TV:

Zidane had more changes to make when the tactical switch still didn't improve things. He introduced Marco Asensio and Marcelo for James and centre-back Sergio Ramos.

Still, Madrid struggled. Things should have gotten worse when Nacho clumsily took down Borja Viguera in the box. Sadly for Sporting, Cop was wayward from the spot.

Not deterred, Gijon continued to press for an equaliser. Yet they couldn't engineer a clear-enough chance in stoppage time.

Post-Match Reaction

Sporting boss Abelardo defended Cop, despite his costly miss from the spot, per Corrigan:

Despite slipping to another defeat, Abelardo is confident Gijon can get out of the relegation scrap:

By contrast, Zidane was less than impressed by his own side's performance and expressed a sense of relief:

Not surprisingly, the Real chief reserved special praise for two-goal hero Ronaldo:

Real have kept the pressure on Barca, but Zidane's side were far from convincing here.