Real Madrid vs. Deportivo: Score and Reaction from 2016 La Liga Match
Sergio Ramos was Real Madrid's late hero once again. The defender headed home in the 92nd minute as the Galacticos stole a 3-2 victory against Deportivo La Coruna at the Bernabeu Stadium in La Liga on Saturday.
Alvaro Morata opened the scoring for Real in the opening moments of the second half, but two shocking finishes by Joselu gave Depor an unlikely lead.
Substitute Mariano was tasked with saving the hosts, and he duly obliged, heading home in the closing stages of the match.
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With the game deep into injury time, Ramos again was Madrid's saviour as he powered his header into the net from a corner.
The big team news for Real came as Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo were all given the night off, with the Portuguese icon suited and in the stands to watch his team-mates.
Pepe, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Isco and Morata all made starts, with manager Zinedine Zidane's selection having a reserve flavour.
The first half was a tepid affair as Los Blancos dictated possession and tempo. James should have given his side the lead, clean through on goal, but the Colombian superstar fluffed his lines at the vital moment.
Despite inferior territory, Depor should have taken a lead into half-time. Costa Rica midfielder Celso Borges rose above the Madrid defence, but his header hit the post to the audible relief of home fans.
Goalkeeper Keylor Navas was beaten as Borges' effort hit the base of the post against the run of play.
WhoScored.com provided the statistics at half-time, with Madrid clearly on top:
The deadlock was broken five minutes after the restart as Morata expertly shielded the ball, unleashing a wicked curling shot that explosively found the bottom corner.
The strike was a just reward for Los Blancos, but the game was to turn on its head as the visitors netted twice in quick succession.
WhoScored.com highlighted the Real striker's prowess from outside the box:
Depor were back in the match shortly after the hour mark, as former Madrid player Joselu equalised with a blockbuster finish.
Real fans had not recovered from the surprise goal before the attacker grabbed his brace—as the hosts' defence collapsed.
Joselu slotted home to the jeers of the crowd, forcing Zidane to shuffle the pack from his bench.
The French coach gave Mariano the chance to be a hero, with Isco trudging off in disappointment, and Los Blancos pushed forward at every opportunity to force a result.
Real lacked intelligence and quality in midfield in the absence of Modric, and the decision to omit Ronaldo and Benzema from the bench appeared to be foolish.
With time running out—and Madrid appearing to be nervous—the hosts attained the equaliser they desired as Mariano found the net.
The attacker found the far corner with a brilliant header, leading to rapturous cheers from the Madrid faithful with just six minutes remaining.
Real went for the jugular in the closing moments, flying forward with maverick precision and desire as Depor struggled.
The magic moment came in the 92nd minute. Ramos perfectly timed his run into the box to meet a corner, and the Madrid captain made no mistake with his header as Real stole maximum points.
Zidane danced in the technical area, watching his side pull off a wonderful comeback, and Real proved they are not a one-man team, resilient and forceful even without Ronaldo.
Per La Liga's official Twitter account, the scorer credited good fighting spirit for the moment of magic:
The win leaves Real six points ahead of rivals Barcelona, who beat Osasuna 3-0 earlier on Saturday.
