Madrid one win away from title

MADRID:Real Madrid need one victory to secure their 34th La Liga title after they held off a secondhalf comeback from Granada on Monday to win 2-1 and move four points clear of second-placed Barcelona. With two games left, Real will be crowned champions if they beat Villarreal at home on Thursday regardless of how Barca fare at the Camp Nou against Osasuna.

But they were made to sweat by Granada who are gunning for Europe and have been arguably the division’s surprise of the season after being promoted from second tier last year. Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema looked to have set Real on course for a comfortable win at Los Carmenes but Granada were transformed after the break and Darwin Machis’s 50th-minute strike gave them hope.

An increasingly nervous Real were clinging on by the end and needed Sergio Ramos to clear one shot off the line as Zinedine Zidane’s side dug in for a ninth consecutive victory. “Our vision when we start every season is to win the league,” said Zidane. “There are two games left. We are close but we’re not there yet.”

Real could win La Liga for the third time in eight years at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium on Thursday night. “It would mean a lot,” said Ramos. “It’s the prize for consistency over the whole year. Maybe we had a period of reflection during the suspension and we came back and reacted. We’re in the race and hopefully on Thursday we can celebrate.”

If Real slip up against Villarreal, they will still have a second chance on Sunday when they finish at Leganes while Barcelona visit Alaves. Earlier, Villarreal’s hopes of a Champions League berth were dashed after they lost 2-1 at home to Real Sociedad.

UNITED STAY FIFTH

MANCHESTER:Man United’s Champions League qualification hopes suffered a blow after an equaliser deep in stoppage time from Michael Obafemi earned Southampton a 2-2 draw in the Premier League at Old Trafford.