Deportivo: Aranzubia; Silvio (Alex
Bergantiños 25'), Marchena, Kaká (Jesús Vázquez
57'), Ayoze; Paulo Assuncao, Abel Aguilar; Bruno Gama, Valerón, Pizzi;
Riki (Nelson Oliveira 75'). 4-2-3-1.
Madrid: Diego
López; Arbeloa, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo (Cristiano Ronaldo 57'); Essien
(Özil 57'), Modric (Khedira 57'); Di María, Kaká,
Callejón; Higuaín. 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 35. Riki. Ran on to Pizzi's pass and beat Diego
López from wide angle.
1-1. 73. Kaká. Collected short Di
María pass and curled shot wide of Aranzubia.
1-2. 88.
Higuaín. From close to goal after Ronaldo played across Kaká
pass.
Yellow cards: Carvalho 16', Pizzi 39', Marcelo 53', Aguilar 62', Callejón 65', Ayoze 70', Di María 90', 91' / red cards: Di María 91'.
Real Madrid had to overcome an early goal at bottom club Deportivo before they ran out 1-2 winners in the end. New coach Fernando Vázquez was looking to turn things around in La Coruña, and his side had the better of the first half, Pizzi firing a couple of shots just wide before putting Riki through to beat Diego López with ten minutes to go to the break. Soon afterwards Marcelo headed another shot from Pizzi off the line with the keeper beaten, and Riki also went close before the half time whistle. Callejón tested Aranzubia either side of half time, but with his team failing to take control Mourinho in one swoop brought on Ronaldo, Özil and Khedira, who he had been saving for Tuesday's cup visit to the Nou Camp. That changed things, and with twenty minutes to go Kaká picked up Di María's return pass to curl a shot past the keeper from outside of the area. Ronaldo came close to netting in the Riazor stadium for the first time in his career (the only first division ground he has yet to score in), and with two minutes to go he combined with Kaká to set up Higuaín for the winner. With the game coming to a close Di María got himself sent off for two silly bookings in succession, but by then the contest was over. Madrid move to within a point of second placed Atlético pending their match on Sunday, and Depor are now nine points away from safety.