21.02.2016 » Malaga 1-1 Real Madrid. Waving goodbye to La Liga title

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Zidane remains unbeaten as Real Madrid manager since he took over back in January, but he couldn't go beyond a 1-1 draw in La Rosaleda against Malaga, in this Sunday's afternoon league fixture. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal for the visitors, but the Merengues have now fallen 9 points below the leaders Barcelona.

It's hard to believe, but Real Madrid may actually look at today's 1-1 draw against Malaga as a point won, instead of a 2-point slip. Zinedine Zidane was certainly expecting trouble in his trip to La Rosaleda, but he probably didn't imagine that the hosts could have outplayed his team in such a clear manner. At the end of the day and having in mind the displays both teams presented on the pitch, the Merengues can be happy to have retrieved a point from this game, since Malaga did produce more and better chances to score all game long. Cristiano Ronaldo added another goal to his tally from a header, but also ended up missing a penalty-kick moments later that could have turned out to be decisive.

Cristiano Ronaldo game photos in Malaga vs Real Madrid
Malaga 1-1 Real Madrid - Goals and highlights:

All Cristiano Ronaldo actions vs Malaga:

It was yet another frustrating game away from home, as Real Madrid left La Rosaleda with only one point this afternoon. It's a result that puts Madrid's already unlikely La Liga hopes on life support, as they drop even further behind the current leaders Barcelona.

Admittedly, it was a deserved result for Malaga, they challenged often and it was a very busy day for Keylor Navas. Still, Madrid will be upset at their inability to put away teams away from home and as the focus must now inevitably shift to success in the Champions League, today was yet another reminder of the kinds of matches Madrid need to win if they ever want to have a chance at La Liga.

With Benzema out and James on the bench nursing his shoulder injury, Madrid opted for a different side with Isco, Jese and Kovacic all starting at the same time. Up top, Jesé and Ronaldo were required to do the business, but without Benzema, the attack often looked disjointed in the final third...

Even the goal scored by Madrid could have easily been waved off as it was clearly offside, when Ronaldo headed the ball in from a Toni Kroos freekick in the 33rd minute. A fantastic finish no doubt, but also one that should have been disallowed since the Portuguese star was in fact a couple meters ahead of Malaga's last defender.

A few minutes later, Ronaldo had a chance to put the match beyond all doubt after he was tripped up in the box. Unfortunately, his penalty was saved by the veteran shotstopper Idris Kameni, who was brilliant on the day.

The second half would see a Malaga equaliser after some lax defending in the box and Madrid suddenly found themselves facing the prospect of yet another draw away from home. As they piled on the pressure late, it was clear nothing would come of it, as a series of half chances only resulted in more saves for Kameni.

An exhausted Madrid walked off the pitch at the final whistle, knowing that La Liga is now a long lost dream. Under Zidane there have been clear improvements, but there is more work to be done if Madrid can truly be back to their best again.

Author: Terrance Ross

Real Madrid line-up vs Malaga:

Goalkeeper: Navas
Defenders: Marcelo, Ramos, Nacho, Carvajal
Midfielders: Kroos, Modric, Kovacic, Isco
Attackers: Cristiano Ronaldo, Jesé Rodríguez.

Cristiano Ronaldo next game will be for Real Madrid for La Liga, on the 27th of February of 2016, against Atletico Madrid. You can watch Juventus live stream, the derby Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid, Arsenal vs Barcelona, Shrewsbury Town vs Manchester United, Napoli vs AC Milan, and Juventus vs Bayern Munich, all matches provided from our soccer live game pages.

Real Madrid next game:
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid kick-off time (27-02-2016):

Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 22:00
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+6: 21:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 19:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 16:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 15:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-4: 11:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-5: 10:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-8: 07:00

Sources: ronaldo7.net / realmadrid.com / espnfc.com / goal.com / bbc.com

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