Real`s title hopes dashed by Valladolid draw

Madrid: Real Madrid`s La Liga title hopes were all but ended as they conceded five minutes from time to draw 1-1 away to Valladolid on Wednesday.

Sergio Ramos` free-kick had given Madrid the lead 10 minutes before half-time, but Humberto Osorio`s late header rounded off a horrible evening for the visitors as Cristiano Ronaldo also hobbled off with an injury in the first 10 minutes putting his participation in the Champions League final in doubt. The draw leaves Real four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid and a point adrift of Barcelona with two games to play. Real will be mathematically out of the title race should Atletico win at home to Malaga on Sunday and Atletico could be crowned champions for the first time in 18 years should Barcelona also drop points away to Elche. Madrid captain Iker Casillas was back in goal in a La Liga match for the first time in 17 months, but he nearly had to pick the ball out of his net after just five minutes when Javi Guerra`s header from close range clipped the outside of the post. Madrid then suffered a huge blow when Ronaldo limped off to be replaced by Alvaro Morata. The Portuguese punched the top of the dugout in frustration as he left the field and could now miss the rest of Real`s season, including the Champions League final against Atletico on May 24. In Ronaldo`s absence Sergio Ramos took on free-kick duties and continued his tremendous scoring streak of late with his fifth goal in four games as his dipping free-kick had to much power for Jaime in the Valladolid goal. Ramos could even have had a second before half-time as his header from Luka Modric`s corner flew just wide. The visitors had to withstand some concerted pressure from Valladolid in the second period as Guerra saw an acrobatic overhead kick fly inches past 25 minutes from time. And the hosts finally got their reward when Alvario Rubio`s corner from the right was powered into the far corner of the net by Osorio. The result could have been even better for Valladolid as Zakara Bergditch led a three-on-one counter-attack moments later, but the Frenchman`s final pass was cut out by the covering Pepe.