La Liga: Real Madrid drop points, Barca and Atletico win
Real Madrid dropped two points in the race for the La Liga title, being held to a 1-1 draw away to Rayo Vallecano.
Real Madrid’s 5-3 romp over Real Betis on Sunday night came at a steep cost as star fullback Marcelo had to be subbed off after suffering a hamstring injury and Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane admitted he was in the dark over the severity of the injury.
“I hope it’s nothing serious, we’ll have to assess it tomorrow. He told me he feels like it’s just a knock, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Zidane said at his post-match press conference.
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Marcelo was making a routine clearance near his own by-line in the 27th minute when he pulled up, clearly in agony, and it was obvious that the 29-year-old could not carry on.
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The Brazilian’s exit clearly impacted the visitors as they conceded two goals within 10 minutes of his departure, with his replacement—Nacho—scoring an own-goal.
Real, however, recovered from their first-half setbacks to mount a stirring comeback with four goals after the interval.
Marco Asensio, who had given them the lead early in the first-half, would lead the charge with another while captain Sergio Ramos and club talisman Cristiano Ronaldo also chipped in before substitute Karim Benzema added a fifth late in injury-time.
Marcelo’s injury, however, could not have come at a worse time for Zinedine Zidane’s men as they enter a hectic period with four La Liga games ahead before their second leg UEFA Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain on March 6.
Real won the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu 3-1, with Marcelo popping up with the the third and his buccaneering displays on the wing give Real an extra option when they break with pace and they will look to get the tireless Brazilian back as soon as possible.
Usually, a hamstring injury has a lay-off period of about one-to-three weeks, which would make Marcelo’s participation in the second leg at the Parc des Princes touch and go.
Considering they are out of contention in the La Liga title race, Real’s sole chance of winning silverware this season is the UEFA Champions League and the 12-time winners will be desperate to get Marcelo fit for the clash with Les Parisiens.
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