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First Division - Day 23

Real Madrid 2 – Deportivo 0

Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo; Illarramendi (Lucas Silva 71‘), Kroos, Isco (Carvajal 80’); Bale, Benzema (Jesé 86‘), Cristiano Ronaldo. 4-3-3.
Deportivo: Fabricio; Laure, Manuel Pablo, Lopo, Luisinho; Alex Bergantiños, Celso Borges (Juan Domínguez 84’); Isaac Cuenca, Lucas Pérez (Medunjanin 79’), Cavaleiro; Oriol Riera (Hélder Costa 65‘). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 23. Isco. Curled shot wide of Fabricio after Arbeloa laid ball back from by-line.
2-0. 73. Benzema. Lifted shot past keeper after Ronaldo touched on Arbeloa pass.

Yellow cards: Borges 45’, Nacho 48’, Manuel Pablo 61’, Arbeloa 78’, Lopo 83’, Laure 89'.

Real Madrid bounced back from their defeat at Atlético last week, a 2-0 victory over Deportivo on Saturday evening keeping them top of the table for another week. There was an early scare though when Isaac Cuenca brought a save out of Casillas and then fired another shot over the top, but a few minutes later Ronaldo and then Bale rattled the crossbar (Fabricio getting an important touch on Bale’s shot), and the visiting keeper did well to deflect another effort from Benzema round the post for a corner. Midway through the first half Benzema turned a Bale centre across goal, and although Ronaldo somehow failed to connect, Arbeloa played the ball back for Isco to curl a shot into the net. Apart from a possible penalty on Ronaldo though Madrid hardly caused any problems for the rest of the first half, and soon after the restart Borges fired a shot against the foot of the post. Casillas also had to be at his best to keep out an Oriol Riera header, but a few minutes later Benzema made sure of the three points, lifting the ball past Fabricio after Ronaldo touched on Arbeloa’s centre. Three points for Ancelotti’s side, but they still look a bit shaky going into next Wednesday’s Champions League game at Schalke.