First Division - Day 15

Real Madrid 3 - Deportivo 2

Madrid: Keylor Navas; Danilo (Marcelo 81’), Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Nacho; Casemiro, Kroos; Marco Asensio (Lucas Vázquez 66’), Isco (Mariano 72’), James; Morata. 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Tyton; Juanfran, Albentosa, Sidnei, Fernando Navarro; Guilherme, Celso Borges; Carles Gil, Emre Çolak (Joselu 58’), Ryan Babel (Fayçal Fajr 82’); Andone (Mosquera 75’). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 50. Morata. Picked up Isco pass and cut across to fire shot wide of Tyton.
1-1. 63. Joselu. Collected Carles Gil pass and curled shot past Keylor Navas.
1-2. 65. Joselu. Forced shot under keeper after Andone crossed in from right.
2-2. 84. Mariano. Looped ball past Tyton with shoulder from Vázquez centre.
3-2. 92. Sergio Ramos. Near post header across keeper from Kroos corner.

Yellow cards: Celso Borges 25’, Ryan Babel 45’, Albentosa 59’, Morata 70’, Keylor Navas 88’, Sergio Ramos 88’.

Real Madrid held on to their six point lead at the top of the table after coming from behind to beat Deportivo 3-2 on Saturday evening. With one eye on next week’s Club World Cup, Zidane made no less than eight changes from the initial line-up against Barcelona last Saturday, Ronaldo, Benzema and Modric all rested, and Kroos, Casemiro and Morata making their first start after long injury lay-offs. As a result there were few chances in the first half, the best a couple of efforts off target from Isco and Sergio Ramos, a shot from James which Tyton kept out, and two attempts from Borges which hit the woodwork. Some five minutes after the restart Morata opened the scoring for the locals, curling a shot past Tyton after picking up a pass from Isco. But a few minutes later substitute Joselu levelled the scores after Andone won the ball off Casemiro, and just two minutes later the ex Real Madrid striker got his second of the night after picking up a cross from Andone. That woke Madrid up though, and Mariano came on to loop the ball off his shoulder past the visiting keeper from a Lucas Vázquez centre. Soon afterwards the players clashed after Tyton was injured saving from Morata, and with the game in injury time Ramos headed the winner from a Kroos corner to make it a record 35 games without defeat for his side.