Rayo Vallecano 0-2 Real Madrid : 5 talking points

Ronaldo and James Rodriguez were the two goal-scorers for Real MadridReal Madrid left it late, but ultimately ran out winners as goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez secured a hard-fought 2-0 win, to keep up with leaders Barcelona in the hunt for the league title. The home team were the better side in the first half who held the European champions back with some rigid defending and also threatening in the final third.Pressure started mounting over the visitors as they struggled to find a breakthrough and were heading for a draw. Ronaldo eased some pressure off them with a sublime diving header deep in the second half before James Rodriguez sealed the vital 3 points with a low drive shortly after.Real laboured to a victory in the end, that keeps them in contention for the La Liga title. Here are the 5 talking points from the game.

#1 Iker Casillas saves Madrid the blushes

The Real Madrid veteran may no longer be invincible as in his heydays and is possibly past his prime though he hasn't completely lost his charm in goal and still harbours the heroics of yore. He signified it lat night with his valorous performance.

Casillas, who is so prone to errors these days, was impeccable in goal for the visitors, thwarting Rayo’s every attempt. The Real skipper cut a reliable figure in between the pipes whenever the home side breached the fragile Real defence.

Although most of the shots coming his way were straight and right at him, Casillas showed great dexterity in fending them off and also kept the most threatening Rayo players – Roberto Trashorras and Manucho at bay.

He may be benched in favour of Keylor Navas for the weekend clash against Eibar as Carlo Ancelotti previously stated, this game serves as a huge boost for underfire Spaniard, considering the crucial clashes lined up in the next few days.

#2 Toni Kroos is in dire need of some rest

Signed from Bayern Munich last summer to fill in for Xabi Alonso, Toni Kroos endured a brilliant start to life in Madrid and became an instrumental figure in Real’s tremendous success during the first half of the campaign. However, a haze of fatigue seems to be hanging around him in the past few weeks. The resounding influence he had on the games at the start have waned dramatically and he hasn't impressed for quite some time.

Against Rayo, his insipid run continued as he barely made any impact on the game and was overrun in the centre by a stoic Rayo midfield.

He was robbed of possession very easily and executed the set-pieces poorly. Kroos, for all due respect to his immense talent, was the only weak knee in an otherwise improved Real in the second half. The German has grown exhausted due to his overuse by Ancelotti and desperately needs some time to recuperate for the big games ahead.

#3 Rayos stubborn defence

The home team may have lost the game, but stole the show with their solid defending that nearly earned them a point. The defensive quartet of Tito, Nacho, Amaya and Ze Castro did a commendable job in keeping the BBC trio in check in the first half. They were hardly afforded any space to create a chance or to shoot at goal.

They showed great communication at the back and also played out well from the back when the visitors broke away quickly. Although they couldn't prevent Real from scoring eventually, the defending masterclass they put up deserved all the plaudits and despite the defeat, held their heads up high.

#4 Ancelottis gamble paid off

The Italian had deployed his favored 4-3-3 formation at the start but saw his side struggle to make chances. The home side were dominant in the first half; they possessed greater percentage of the ball and did not allow the visitors to create any realistic chances.

Ancelotti, with the purpose of getting his side back on track, switched over to 4-4-2, taking a more direct approach. His gamble paid off as the change created more chances. The 65-year old showed great astuteness with this move as it bailed his team out and left the field with their objective achieved.

#5 A bizarre night for Cristiano Ronaldo

After the historic quintuple just 3 days ago against Granada, Ronaldo entered the game high on confidence, having found his scoring prowess again and also being back at the summit of scoring charts. The opening 45 minutes though, turned out to be a damp squib as most of his attempts at goal were off target and he was effectively silenced by a stern Rayo defence.

The second half was a different proposition altogether. Ronaldo looked more threatening and was more impactful. However, in the 51st minute, the Portuguese was brought down by a Rayo defender which appeared to be a clear penalty. The referee instead, brandished a 5th yellow card of the season to Ronaldo for diving which means he will now have to serve a one match suspension.

However, that did little to affect him as he would then go on to score his 300th Real goal, with a diving header, showing great movement to take up position in the penalty area.