Ceballos scores on debut as Real win

VITORIA, SPAIN : Dani Ceballos scored twice in his first start for Real Madrid and helped them earn a much-needed 2-1 win at Alaves in the Spanish league on Saturday.

The win came three days after Madrid lost at home to Real Betis 1-0. This was only Madrid’s third win in six rounds.

Ceballos struck in the 10th minute and restored the defending champions’ advantage two minutes before halftime.

The winless Alaves almost leveled late when substitute Alfonso Pedraza twice hit the woodwork.

Ceballos received a pass from Marco Asensio, fought through a tackle, and shot just inside the post for the opener.

Manu Garcia responded by ending Alaves’ long scoring drought. His powerful header from a cross by Munir El Haddadi was the Basque Country club’s first goal of the season.

But Ceballos put Madrid back in charge when he fired in a ball that goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco spilled when he collided with a teammate while defending a cross. Cristiano Ronaldo hit the goal-frame twice in the second half as the Madrid forward seeks his first goal in the league after he was suspended for the first four rounds for pushing a referee.

GRIEZMANN FIRE ATLETI INTO SECOND SPOT

MADRID: Diego Costa watched on from the directors’ box as Atletico Madrid leapfrogged Sevilla into second in La Liga thanks to goals from Yannick Carrasco and Antoine Griezmann in a 2-0 win on Saturday. Costa’s drawn out move back to Atletico from Chelsea was finally agreed on Thursday, but the striker isn’t allowed to feature until the January transfer window opens.

However, the man who fired Atletico to La Liga in 2013/14, could still have a vital part to play in Atletico’s title challenge.