CASEMIRO scored as Real Madrid won 1-0 at Real Valladolid on Saturday to move within three points of rival Atletico at the top of the La Liga table. Atletico had the chance to stretch its lead to 11 points by winning back-to-back games against Levante but instead the side followed a 1-1 draw Wednesday with a surprise 2-0 loss, meaning a five-point advantage became only six. Real Madrid cranked up the pressure again by edging to a win over struggling Real Valladolid, Casemiro’s second-half header cutting the gap to just three points, albeit with Atletico still owning a game in hand. The swing in momentum comes at a bad time for Atletico, which faces Chelsea in the Champions League tomorrow, and it feels significant given it has coincided with a resurgence, in La Liga at least, for its chasing rivals. Real Madrid’s victory at the Jose Zorilla Stadium was its fourth in a row, three of those coming with clean sheets, which suggests a return to form for a defense that all but clinched the side the title last season. (SD-Agencies) |