Real back on top; Barca held by Alaves

MADRID: Real Madrid moved back to the top of La Liga as Vinicius Junior scored both goals in a 2-1 victory at Elche on Saturday.

Elche provided stiff opposition and went close when Lucas Boye forced a fine save from Thibaut Courtois but they were ultimately undone by two classy finishes by the Brazilian.

Real went ahead in the 22nd minute when an error by Elche defender Johan Mojica allowed Casemiro to play a pass to Mariano Diaz who teed up Vinicius with a cute backheel.

Elche hunted an equaliser after the break but they suffered a blow when Raul Guti picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Toni Kroos and shortly afterwards Vinicius made it 2-0 after a sublime finish from a pass by Luka Modric.

Even then it was not straightforward as Pere Milla pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 86th after a stray pass by Casemiro but Carlo Ancelotti's side held on for the points.

Victory lifted them back above Real Sociedad on goal difference with 24 points with Sevilla also on 24 after they beat Osasuna 2-0 at home with Diego Carlos and Lucas Ocampos both on target for the hosts.

Barcelona's miserable LaLiga campaign continued as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by lowly Alaves on Saturday in their first match since the sacking of coach Ronald Koeman.

Barca's third consecutive league game without a win left them ninth in the standings, eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.

After a cagey first half, Dutch forward Memphis Depay put Barcelona ahead four minutes after the interval with a fine strike from outside the penalty area.

The lead lasted only three minutes, however, as Alaves winger Luis Rioja conjured up an excellent equaliser, playing a neat one-two with Joselu before rounding Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to score.

Barcelona also suffered injury blows when striker Sergio Aguero and defender Gerard Pique were forced off ahead of their Champions League clash at Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday.

After defeats by Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano which led to Koeman sacking, only 37,000 fans turned up at the Camp Nou to see the first game under caretaker coach Sergi Barjuan, the club's worst attendance for 20 years.

Alaves remained 16th in the standings. Agencies

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