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BARCELONA, Spain -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored his Spanish league-leading 25th goal to give Real Madrid a lacklustre 1-0 win at Malaga on Saturday, when the pacesetters extended their unbeaten run to 30 consecutive matches in all competitions. Diego Costa made sure Atletico Madrid stayed within three points of its crosstown rivals by scoring his 22nd league goal of the season in a 1-0 win at home over Espanyol. Ronaldo netted the winner in the 23rd minute, and a tired Madrid was fortunate Malaga failed to muster a comeback after pushing the visitors into their area for the final 10 minutes. Third-place Barcelona will enter Sundays match against Osasuna seven points behind Madrid with the two powerhouses set to clash in the Spanish capital next weekend. Madrids win was tarnished by the loss of Karim Benzema to a right thigh injury after colliding with Ronaldo in the first half. "We suffered, above all in the second half," Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso said. "They pressed us and it was tough for us to move the ball. These are three important points. There are 10 games left and we have to play each one like its the last." Elsewhere, Rayo Vallecano beat Almeria 3-1 to provisionally escape the relegation zone with a third consecutive victory, while Celta Vigo earned an entertaining 1-0 win at Levante. The opening stage of the match at La Rosaleda Stadium saw a vibrant back-and-forth exchange before Ronaldo put Madrid ahead with a wonderful solo effort. The Ballon dOr winner looked to be hemmed in by two defenders on the edge of the area, but he took three touches to his right and lashed a bouncing strike beyond goalkeeper Willy Caballero. Ronaldos goal gave him 39 goals in 36 games in all competitions this campaign. Ronaldo went close twice more shortly after, first being blocked by Caballero and then sending Gareth Bales lobbed pass into the side netting before he ran into Benzema. Benzema was treated on the sideline by team doctors before he asked to be substituted, ceding his spot to Angel Di Maria, in the 31st. Former Malaga standout Francisco "Isco" Alarcon, who joined Madrid this summer, wasted a golden chance in the 51st when he sent the ball sailing high after Di Maria set him up for a one-on-one with Caballero. Isco was applauded by his former fans when replaced by Jese Rodriguez less than 10 minutes later. Madrid, so dominant in the first half, lost control of the ball and Malaga tilted the match in its favour led by tireless forward Nordin Amrabat. But defender Sergio Sanchez blasted his teams most promising opportunity to level high in the 76th. "This team is consistent game after game," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "We are ready for the clasico." But before receiving fierce rival Barcelona, Madrid hosts Schalke on Tuesday with one foot in the Champions League quarterfinals after winning their first meeting 6-1. The first half at Vicente Calderon Stadium was ruled by the defences and featured a good save each by Atleticos Courtois Thibaut and Espanyols Kiko Casilla. Diego Costa broke through in the 55th when he received a throughball from David Villa, easily fended off Diego Colottos timid attempt to slow him down, and fired the ball past Casilla. Courtois took a hard hit to the head when Jhon Cordoba inadvertently kneed him, but the Belgian recovered and four minutes later in the 77th David Lopezs bouncing strike struck his head before falling wide of the post. "Espanyol played a great game and complicated our lives a lot," Diego Costa said. "But that just makes us stronger." Rayo won thanks to Joaquin Larriveys double after Alberto Bueno headed in the opener. Fernando Soriano scored for Almeria. Rayo rose three points above danger. Almeria was left in the drop zone along with Valladolid and Real Betis before they play on Sunday. Celta forward Manuel "Nolito" Agudo scored from a well-orchestrated counterattack in the 19th. David Barral missed a penalty for Levante in the 61st. The loss was Levantes first in seven straight home games. Both teams stayed in the middle of the standings. Nikola Jokic Nuggets Jersey . But history aside, theyre still happy to participate in the Par 3 contest, traditionally held on the day prior to the first round of the Masters. Custom Denver Nuggets Jerseys . The veteran fighter will be squaring off with Henderson in a five-round lightweight bout as part of another network televised card at the United Center on Saturday night. http://www.nuggetsprostore.com/kids-thomas-welsh-nuggets-jersey/ . -- Henry Josey watched helplessly from the sideline last fall, rehabbing from a serious knee injury, while Missouri was getting pushed around in its first SEC season. Malik Beasley Nuggets Jersey .com) - The Milwaukee Bucks will try to get another win on this homestand Thursday night when they welcome the Utah Jazz to the Bradley Center. Dikembe Mutombo Nuggets Jersey .1 Sam Stosur will meet Germanys second-ranked player Andrea Petkovic in the opening match of the Fed Cup World Group semifinal.TOKYO - Japanese media report free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda will return to Japan in 2015 to pitch for his first team, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.The reports say Kuroda, who turns 40 in February, has signed a one year contract worth $3.3 million. Kuroda pitched for Hiroshima from 1997-2007 and then spent four years with the Los Angeles Dodgers before moving to the New York Yankees.The Japanese broadcaster NHK and other reports said Saturday that Kuroda will wear No. 15, the same number he wore when he laast pitched for the Carp.dddddddddddd Hiroshima kept the number open for him during his time in the major leagues, where he wore 18.Last season, Kuroda was 11-9 with a 3.71 ERA. He was 79-79 with a 3.45 ERA in 1,319 career major league innings. He struck out 986 and walked only 292.Kuroda was perhaps the most durable starter in the Yankees rotation the past three seasons. He worked 199 innings this year after exceeding 200 in his first two with New York and the final season with the Dodgers. ' ' '