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Real romp towards Spanish league title

  • Story Highlights
  • Real Madrid poised to clinch a second successive Spanish league title
  • Real go 10 points clear at top after 2-0 victory away to Racing Santander
  • Villarreal reclaim second place from Barcelona with 2-0 win over Valladolid
  • Bottom club Levante stave off relegation for a week with 3-1 win over Getafe
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(CNN) -- Real Madrid are poised to clinch a second successive Spanish league title after going 10 points clear at the top with a 2-0 victory at Racing Santander on Sunday.

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Raul celebrates after putting Real Madrid ahead in Sunday's victory against Racing Santander.

Coach Bernd Schuster will earn a trophy in his first year in charge next weekend if Real beat Athletic Bilbao next Sunday and nearest rivals Villarreal and Barcelona drop points.

Villarreal moved back into second place on Sunday as Nihat Kahveci and Santi Cazorla scored in the 2-0 victory against Real Valladolid, while Barcelona are a point further back in third after Saturday's 0-0 draw at home to city rivals Espanyol.

Real captain Raul Gonzalez put the visitors ahead in the 13th minute with his 17th league goal this season, the 30-year-old deftly diverting Robinho's left-wing cross past goalkeeper Tono Rodriguez.

Santander, seeking to climb up into fourth place, almost leveled before halftime when a Cesar Navas skimmed past the post and then Real goalkeeper Ikar Casillas did well to deny Mohamed Tchite soon after the break.

Robinho and Arjen Robben both fired wide and Tono kept out another effort from Raul before Gonzalo Higuain sealed victory for Real in injury-time when he sidefooted home a pass from fellow second-half substitute Javier Balboa on the counter-attack.

The result meant that Real are almost guaranteed the title with five matches still to play.

Villarreal, who will secure the highest placing in the club's history by finishing second, left visiting Valladolid just two points above the relegation zone.

Cazorla's long pass set up Nihat for a 15th-minute opener, with the Turkey international beating defender Alexis Suarez before firing into the net.

Nihat repaid the compliment as he helped set up Cazorla less than a minute after the halftime interval.

Kings Cup winners Valencia were left just two points above the relegation zone in 15th place after a humiliating 5-1 thrashing at Bilbao in Sunday's late game.

The 2004 and 2004 Spanish champions, who qualified for next season's UEFA Cup with Wednesday's final win over Getafe, have registered just one win in the last 10 league outings, and coach Ronald Koeman's future is now in serious doubt.

Deportivo La Coruna, who host Barcelona next weekend, beat struggling Osasuna 1-0, with a 65th-minute penalty by Sergio Gonzalez clinching a fourth successive victory.

Bottom club Levante staved off relegation for a week with a 3-1 win over Getafe, but are still 12 points from safety and will go down with defeat at Recreativo Huelva next Sunday.

Second-bottom Murcia seem set to join Levante in the second division next season after losing 4-1 at home to Real Mallorca, with Spain international Daniel Guiza netting a hat-trick. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

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