Real Madrid closed the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona upon defeating Valencia 2-0 at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday. Gonzalo Higuain broke the deadlock five minutes from the half-hour mark after eluding a couple of defenders and scoring with a low effort from the edge of the area. Portuguese virtuoso Cristiano Ronaldo doubled Los Blancos' lead on 78 minutes from close range after connecting with a Marcelo cross. Second-placed Real are now trailing their bitter rivals Barcelona only by one point. The Catalans missed out on a chance to ensure their leadership when they were held to a goalless draw at Espanyol on Saturday. The match's goals