Real Madrid vs. Deportivo La Coruna: Score, Grades and Reaction from La Liga

Real Madrid battled to a hard-earned 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna at the Bernabeu on Saturday, putting the memories of the 4-0 drubbing they took from Atletico Madrid in Week 22 behind them.

It wasn't a vintage performance from Los Blancos, but the hosts did enough to keep Deportivo's attack in check and made the most of their chances. 

The visitors shocked everyone with their fast start, putting plenty of pressure on the Real back four and mustering two very good chances in the opening minutes.

Isaac Cuenca, the former Barcelona man, first called Iker Casillas into action with a driving shot before curling a beauty just over the goal. AS English thought Madrid were lucky to escape without conceding:

Los Blancos started to take control of possession and work the ball forward faster, with Marcelo in particular enjoying much success out wide. Isco was very active in midfield, and Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo were finding plenty of open spaces.

The La Liga top scorer nearly broke the deadlock 13 minutes in, finding himself on the end of a lovely ball from Bale before unleashing a shot that rattled the woodwork. Goal's Ben Hayward had to make this joke:

The high pace of the match continued, and Bale found the crossbar on his way as well, clipping it from 20 yards out. Marcelo then teed up the Wales international beautifully, but Karim Benzema couldn't convert from close range, putting his effort wide.

Deportivo were hanging on by a thread, and the opening goal appeared inevitable. Spain international Isco finally opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, curling the ball into the top corner from just inside the box.

The young midfielder was having a fantastic match up until that point, drawing praise from AS English's Nicholas Rigg:

Feeling the Galicians were ripe for the picking, Real continued to apply pressure in search of a second goal. Chances were scarce, however, and Cuenca nearly equalised off a corner kick after half an hour of play.

Ronaldo went down under minimal contact just before half-time, begging for a penalty, but the official quickly issued him a warning not to protest too much, via AS English:

He then produced a spectacular piece of skill to fashion some space near the sidelines, pulling off an elastico to go through Manuel Pablo's legs before the ball was blocked out of play.

Despite the heavy pressure, Deportivo stood firm in their resolve and didn't concede a second goal, leading to a 1-0 score heading into half-time. Hayward noticed the fans were happy with the score, even if the hosts' play hadn't been spectacular:

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with the visitors showing plenty of fight. Celso Borges hit the post after great work from Ivan Cavaleiro, and the Galicians continued to pile on the pressure.

Real had no intention of handing the match to the visitors on a silver platter, leading to plenty of back-and-forth play in midfield. Chances didn't follow, however, and the Bernabeu started to grow restless.

Asier Illarramendi had an altogether disappointing match, and he made way for new signing Lucas Silva in the 71st minute. ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan was curious how the debutant would hold up, recalling the lack of success Brazilians have had at the club recently:

Just two minutes later, the score was 2-0. Alvaro Arbeloa found Ronaldo, who isolated Benzema in front of the keeper. The France international didn't have the greatest match, but his dinked finish was a thing of beauty. 

Corrigan thought the duo did excellent work leading to the goal:

The goal seemed to kill any momentum Deportivo had built up until that point, and the final 10 minutes of the match saw both teams simply playing for the final whistle. Ronaldo nearly added a third with an acrobatic volley, putting his effort just wide of the goal.

Los Blancos needed this win badly after the drubbing they took from rivals Atletico Madrid last week, and while their performance on the pitch was hardly fantastic, the La Liga leaders did enough to earn the three points. As far as momentum goes, this result is huge.

Deportivo can leave the Bernabeu with their heads held high after a fine showing, and while the gap with the teams battling in the relegation zone isn't huge, the Galicians seem like a safe bet to survive the drop if they can replicate this level of play moving forward.

Relevant Match Grades

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

Isco: B+

Real's main man in midfield, Isco showed plenty of intensity in the attacking department and didn't shy away from his defensive duties. Fully deserved the opening goal.

Marcelo: B

Fantastic in aiding the attack in the first half but was picked on defensively after the break. Solid performance overall from the Brazil international. Picked up a knock late, which should be monitored with the UEFA Champions League tie against Schalke 04 coming up.

Isaac Cuenca: B+

By far the best man on the pitch for the visitors. Cuenca's talent has never been in question. If he keeps up this level of play, he'll soon find himself being courted by bigger clubs.

Post-Match Reaction

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the team is going through a rough time right now, via Corrigan:

The Bernabeu crowd occasionally treated the squad to whistles and boos, and Ancelotti addressed their impact on the squad after the match, per author Sid Lowe:

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