Málaga 0-2 Real Madrid La Liga Champions: Match report, action, goals, Ronaldo Benzema
Real Madrid have sealed their 33rd LaLiga title and their first in five years thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in either half against MalagaChampions League Final: Real Madrid - Liverpool
Malaga 0-2 Real Madrid: match report
Real Madrid sealed their first LaLiga title since Jose Mourinho's term in charge of the club when they defeated Malaga in La Rosaleda on Sunday night. For all the talk of potential outcomes during the week, all of that talk was moot on 83 seconds when a failed clearance by Luis Hernandez landed to Isco and the little creative midfielder put Ronaldo through before he went by Kameni and slotted home to give his side the lead.
Real Madrid had been in control for most of the opening exchances before Malaga figured out that attacking their opponents right-hand side might bear fruits. Federico Ricca and Jony were causing problems for the visiting side and had a number of close calls with Navas bailing them out more often than not along with Ramos, who put in a dominant performance.
Sandro nearly drew Malaga level after they were awarded a free outside the box but his whipped, right-footed effort was saved, almost miraculously, by Keylor Navas at the near post before he crashed into the goalpost and needed attention to asses his rib injury. He was fine and Real Madrid would need him later on.
The second half was just ten minutes old when the trophy-carvers started to write Real Madrid's name on title because Karim Benzema tapped home a saved Sergio Ramos header to double los Blancos' lead. That was after some intense pressure by the home side in the opening of the half as they decided they would not go down without a fight at the break. Benzema pounced though and Michel's difficult challenge became an almost impossible one.
Malaga continued to pile on the pressure but Real Madrid were starting to counter well and Casemiro was taken off to let Kovacic pick them off in another savvy move by Zidane. The most convincing team in the league all season were not for giving up any goals though and a late effort for Chory Castro was saved by Navas and deflected onto the post. They had efforts from Camacho and Charles too but the Costa Rican kept his second clean sheet in 29 games for the now LaLiga Champions.
Zinedine Zidane scoops the league title for Real Madrid for the 33rd time in the club's history and has a Champions League final to look forward as his impressive spell as the manager of the club continues.
Malaga - Real Madrid live stream online: second half
Málaga - Real Madrid live stream online: team news
Málaga line-up: Kameni, Torres, Luis Hernandez, Ricca; Recio, Camacho; Keko, Fornals, Jony; Sandro.
Real Madrid line-up: Keylor; Danilo, Varane, Ramos; Marcelo; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Isco; Ronaldo, Benzema.
Málaga - Real Madrid live stream online: latest live news
Málaga – Real Madrid live stream online: preview
Real Madrid travel to La Rosaleda with one hand on the Liga trophy in the knowledge that a draw against Míchel’s vastly improved Málaga will be sufficient to secure a first national championship since the 2011-12 season. Real will be proclaimed champions whatever the result on the Costa del Sol if Barcelona are beaten in Camp Nou by Eibar but Zinedine Zidane will not leave Real’s destiny in the hands of lady luck and will field his strongest available side in search of three points.
Under Míchel, who took over from El Gato Romero at the beginning of March, Málaga’s results place them fifth in a league based on the games played uder the former Real Madrid midfielder, behind Sunday’s opponents, Barcelona, Atlético and Athletic Bilbao. At home Málaga have been impeccable in recent weeks, racking up wins against Barcelona, Sevilla, Valencia and Celta. During his short tenure Míchel has flexed his tactical muscles, playing a variety of different formations and shoring up a back four that was among the most porous in the division to achieve six clean sheets in his 11 matches in charge.
Málaga
Míchel said ahead of the game that he would go out to make life uncomfortable for Madrid and take Zinedine Zidane’s “to where they’re not used to being.” The Málaga coach will be unable to field on-loan Madrid defender Diego Llorente, one of many players who have turned the La Rosaleda jeers to cheers in the side’s recent renaissance but can count on all-action midfielder Ignacio Camacho after suspension.
Former Barcelona striker Sandro – who would love to help his former club snatch the Liga crown – will be supported by Juankar from a wing-back role with Keko and Pablo Fornals out wide and Camacho and Recio shoveling coal in the engine room to try and wrest control of the ball from Real’s midfield.
Real Madrid
Zidane has taken his entire squad with him to La Rosaleda, injured players included, in preparation for the post-match celebrations but the Real boss was under no illusions that the title is already wrapped up despite his side’s commanding position.
Other than Dani Carvajal the Frenchman has his preferred starting 11 available and will roll out the big guns in La Rosaleda. Isco will start against his old club and the in-form Cristiano Ronaldo will happily shoulder the responsibility for finding the net, having bagged five in his last three Liga outings.
Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos will be tasked with patrolling the midfield and opening up spaces among Málaga’s back line, with Míchel not entirely averse to playing a back five with a packed midfield when the occasion demands it.
As ever this season, Zidane will charge his side with going on the offensive from the outset and an early goal will go some way to settling any nerves among the visiting side, 10 of whom have never been this close to a league title before. In La Rosaleda, Zidane will look to his old heads to lead the way towards glory and Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Ronaldo will do their utmost to ensure that a long-awaited Liga title does not slip through their fingers at the last.
Málaga vs Real Madrid live stream online: possible line-ups
Málaga XI: Kameni; Torres, Demichelis, Hernández, Ricca, Juankar; Camacho, Recio, Keko, Fornals; Sandro
Coach: Míchel
Real Madrid XI: Navas; Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modric, Kroos; Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Coach: Zinedine Zidane
Málaga vs Real Madrid: selected live stream betting odds
You can get some fancy odds on Málaga raining on Madrid's parade with the home side at 15/1 for the win. Real Madrid to win and both sides to score is priced at 2/1 while a goalless draw is 41/1. Cristiano Ronaldo to bag a hat-trick is chalked up at a measly 5/1 and if you fancy Sandro to open the scoring, the former Barça striker is at 10s.