First Division - Day 10

Real Madrid 3 - Las Palmas 1

Madrid: Kiko Casilla; Danilo, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo; Kroos (Borja Mayoral 87’), Casemiro, Modric (Lucas Vázquez 46’); Isco, Ronaldo, Jesé (Marcos Llorente 80‘). 4-3-3.
Las Palmas: Javi Varas; David Simón, Aythami Artiles, Bigas, Garrido; Roque Mesa, Vicente Gómez; El Zhar (Nauzet 68‘), Hernán (Tana 64’), Jonathan Viera; Willian José (Araujo 80’). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 04. Isco. Picked up Casemiro pass and ran on to fire shot past Javi Varas.
2-0. 14. Ronaldo. Steered diving header wide of keeper from Marcelo centre.
2-1. 38. Hernán. Header down past Casilla and in off bar from El Zhar corner.
3-1. 43. Jesé. Controlled Kroos pass and cut in to strike shot across keeper.

Yellow cards: Hernán 30’, Vicente Gómez 51’, Aythami 93’.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are still neck-and-neck at the top of the table just three weeks prior to the next “clásico” after both won their respective games on Saturday evening. Real Madrid stay in first place though on goal difference after beating Las Palmas 3-1 in the first match of the day. All the goals came in the first half, Isco starting things off with only four minutes gone after picking up a pass from Casemiro. Javi Varas had to keep out Modric soon afterwards, but with a quarter of an hour on the clock Ronaldo made it two with a diving header from Marcelo’s cross, taking him level with Hugo Sánchez as La Liga’s third highest goal scorer. Rafa Benítez had made several changes, including resting Keylor Navas in goal, and his replacement Kiko Casilla had to save from Jonathan Viera before he was finally beaten by a Hernán header following a corner with seven minutes to go to the break. However Jesé restored the two goal cushion just before the break, and although both keepers had work to do after the restart, the result was never in doubt.