MADRID: Real Madrid maintained their pursuit of La Liga leaders Barcelona by defeating Malaga 3-1 on Saturday but victory came at a cost for the European champions as both Gareth Bale and Luka Modric picked up injuries four days before they host Atletico Madrid in their second-leg Champions League quarter-final with the tie poised at 0-0.

“Modric has a problem in his knee, Bale in his calf,” said Real boss Carlo Ancelotti. “Right now we can’t say anything. We will evaluate them in the coming days. They are not completely ruled out.”

With six games to go, second-placed Real’s fourth consecutive La Liga win moved them to 76 points, two behind Barca who won 2-0 against Valencia earlier on Saturday.

“They [Barca] have the advantage, but we have to try with every match to keep the pressure on,” Ancelotti said. “I hope it comes down to the final round.”

Atletico’s Antoine Griezmann scored twice, including a spectacular overhead kick, to secure a 2-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna that strengthened the defending champions’ grip on third place on 69 points, four ahead of Valencia in fourth.

At the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Bale was forced off with a left calf problem after less than five minutes with Javier Hernandez taking over in attack. He is set to undergo tests as will Modric who was substituted after 59 minutes with a knee problem.

But Real went ahead when Sergio Ramos volleyed home a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick after 24 minutes. Ronaldo then fired a penalty off the post in the 67th, but James Rodriguez worked two one-two passing combinations to score two minutes later with a 25-metre drive into the top corner.

Juan Jimenez hit back immediately for Malaga in the 76th but Real saw out a nervous spell before Ronaldo slotted home from Hernandez’s pass in stoppage time for his league- leading 39th goal of the season.

Griezmann moved into third place on the season’s top-scorer list after he struck with a perfectly-executed bicycle kick to put Atletico ahead in the fifth and then made it 2-0 by slotting home a loose ball for his 20th league goal in the 22nd.

Atletico looked firmly in control but lost concentration at the back when Oriol Riera headed in with 12 minutes left and they were put under pressure in the closing stages.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2015

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