Real win but injuries mount ahead of derby

Andy West 04:38 05/02/2015
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  • Real Madrid celebrate their win over Sevilla in La Liga, which sees them four points clear of Barcelona.

    Real Madrid took full advantage of their game in hand by defeating Sevilla with goals from James and Jese Rodriguez to move four points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga, with Iago Aspas’s strike coming too late for the disappointing visitors.

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    But the victory came at a high cost as James and Sergio Ramos limped off with injuries which make them major doubts for Saturday’s city derby trip at Atletico, while full-back Marcelo, Madrid’s outstanding performer last night, will definitely miss that trip through suspension after receiving his fifth booking of the campaign.

    Ramos headed down the tunnel clutching his left hamstring after just nine minutes, with James following him nursing his foot less than 20 minutes later, and initial reports from the Bernabeu suggested both players will be unavailable this weekend.

    Madrid will have Cristiano Ronaldo back in the side following his two-match suspension but Gareth Bale was once again in muted form for Los Blancos.

    James Rodriguez scores Real Madrid's opening goal with a diving header.

    The injuries to Ramos and James formed just part of an eventful start to the encounter which could have seen Sevilla go ahead inside two minutes when Vicente Iborra slid a pass into the stride of Vitolo to send the winger one-on-one with Iker Casillas, but the home captain came out on top by saving with his legs.

    Sevilla then contributed to their downfall for the opening goal as Stephane M’Bia squandered possession in midfield. The ball was eventually worked to Marcelo, who picked out the unmarked James for an easily converted far post header. 

    The visitors continued to carve out opportunities, wasting two good chances to level as Iborra rounded Casillas but struck the post before midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak headed wide from a corner.

    Vitolo’s volley demanded a scrambled save from Casillas after more uncertain defending, and the hosts were forced into
    another reshuffle as James limped off to be replaced by Jese, who went onto the left flank with the previously anonymous Bale returning to the right.

    Jese Rodriguez scores Real Madrid's second goal.

    Then it was Sevilla’s turn to be disrupted as goalkeeper Beto was injured in a collision with Karim Benzema and replaced by youngster Sergio Rico, whose first act was to retrieve the ball from his net after Isco found Benzema and his cross was swept home by Jese as one substitute beat another.

    More goals could have followed before the break as Sevilla lost their discipline, with Benzema shooting wide from Alvaro Arbeloa’s cross and Sami Khedira forcing a good low stop from Rico after a neat lofted pass from Bale.

    The hosts looked like running away with the game in the early stages of the second period, with Bale making a surging run before wrongly electing to shoot rather than passing to the unmarked Benzema and seeing his shot blocked, and Jese then barrelling inside from the left wing to shoot into the side netting from a narrow angle.

    Isco then forced a reflex save from Rico after a sparkling combination with Jese, and more magical approach play between Isco and Marcelo nearly created a goal for Benzema as the hosts started to turn the style.

    But Sevilla pulled one back with ten minutes remaining when jinking dribble by Vitolo ended with cutback for substitute Aspas to convert, and Madrid defended nervously through the final stages but deservedly held on.

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