Madrid: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho,
Arbeloa; Khedira (Pedro Léon 61'), Lass; Di María, Özil
(Raúl Albiol 78'), Cristiano Ronaldo; Benzema (Granero 61'). 4-2-3-1.
Sevilla: Palop; Dabo, Cáceres, Escudé,
Fernando Navarro; Konko (Acosta 78'), Zokora (Alfaro 84'), Romaric, Diego Capel
(José Carlos 84'); Luis Fabiano, Negredo. 4-4-2.
Goals:
1-0. 77. Di María. Picked up loose ball on
left of area and curled shot past Palop.
Yellow cards: Carvalho 45', 63', Di María 59', Pepe 61', Casillas 63', Lass 70', Özil 78', Cáceres 85', Pedro León 87', Acosta 89', Sergio Ramos 89' / red cards: Carvalho 63', Dabo 90'.
Real Madrid stay two points behind leaders Barcelona after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Sevilla on Sunday evening. Mourinho's side were missing the suspended Xabi Alonso and Marcelo, and their only real shot at goal in the first half came from Di María, Palop turning his effort round the post.
The visitors had lost their last four league games, but they had the better chances up to then, Escudé heading a corner just wide and Pepe having to clear from in front of goal after Casillas failed to hold on to a Romaric free kick. Ten minutes in to the second half Negredo broke free only to shoot over the top, and a few minutes later Madrid were left with ten men after Carvalho picked up a second booking.
Tempers began to flare as Clos Gómez flashed the yellow cards, and the referee turned down a good penalty appeal for a foul by Escudé on Granero, who had come on for an off-form Benzema. Then with a quarter of an hour to go Özil passed to Pedro León whose shot hit Zokora on the hand. With the local players claiming a penalty the ball fell to Di María on the left by-line, and as Palop came out to him he found a gap to slot the ball in to the net.
After that Mourinho shut up shop, and any hopes Sevilla had ended when Dabo was sent off for kicking Di María from behind. Another defeat for the Andalusians, who end the weekend in the bottom half of the table.