Madrid: Angel Di Maria kept Real Madrid on the heels of La Liga leaders Barcelona as they survived a red card for Ricardo Carvalho to beat Sevilla 1-0 at home on Sunday.
The Argentina winger kept his cool to finish from the tightest of angles in the 77th minute, soon after Carvalho had been unlucky to receive a second yellow card for a challenge on Alvaro Negredo.Sevilla made life difficult for Jose Mourinho`s side in a match which was low on quality but high on tension after Barca had temporarily moved five points clear of Real on Saturday with a 5-1 hammering of neighbours Espanyol.
Champions Barca go into the winter break with 43 points from 16 games, two ahead of second-placed Real.
Sevilla came in to the match having lost their previous four league outings but set out a robust and well-organised defence.
They almost snatched the lead just before the break but Pepe slid across to clear the danger after a freekick.Murmurs of unrest spread round the Bernabeu after Negredo broke clear only to fire over Casillas`s goal near the hour mark and Mourinho reacted with a double substitution withdrawing the ineffective Karim Benzema.
Almost immediately Carvalho was sent off when the Portuguese was adjudged to have led with his arm into a header in the 63rd.
"The referee was out of his depth with the match, he wasn`t consistent, and he made errors," Real director general Jorge Valdano said.
"I`m not comfortable with what`s happened today."
The game turned into a niggly, frustrating affair as Real`s desperation grew but they got their break when Pedro Leon`s shot deflected to Di Maria on the left of the area.
Andres Palop raced off his line to block him, but the Argentine squeezed his shot in off the near post, and as tempers boiled towards the end the visitors also had a man sent off when Mouhamadou Dabo kicked out at Di Maria.
Earlier, Atletico Madrid recovered from their Europa League exit to beat Malaga 3-0 away and climb to sixth with 26 points.Atletico, who failed to pass the group stage in the defence of their European title, used their heads to sink former Real coach Manuel Pellegrini`s Malaga.
Portugal midfielder Tiago nodded them in front from a Simao Sabrosa free kick after 22 minutes and he headed across for defender Alvaro Dominguez to score following another Simao free kick in the 66th.
Three minutes later, the Portuguese connection worked again as Tiago, on loan from Juventus, headed the third at another set piece to wrap up the points.
Atletico are ahead of near neighbours Getafe on goal difference after Michel`s side earlier came from two goals down to win 3-2 at Almeria.
Real Zaragoza stayed rooted to the foot of the table with 10 points after a 0-0 draw at Osasuna.
Zaragoza`s new coach Javier Aguirre, the former Mexico boss, is still searching for his first win in five attempts since taking the helm last month.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.