Pressure on Mourinho as Real draw blank at Osasuna

MADRID (AFP) –

Real Madrid’s midfielder Masoud Shojaei (R) clashes with Osasuna’s midfielder Oier Sanjurjo during their Spanish league football match at the Reyno de Navarra stadium in Pamplona on January 12, 2013. The match ended in a draw 0-0.

Jose Mourinho was under more pressure on Saturday when misfiring Real Madrid were held to a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Osasuna, a result which left the champions 15 points behind leaders Barcelona.

Madrid, devoid of any creativity, missed the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, who had scored five of his side’s eight goals in the last two games, and their desperate state was highlighted when substitute Kaka was sent-off in the second half.

Real Madrid are on 37 points in third place, four behind Atletico Madrid and they could trail Barcelona by 18 points on Sunday if the runaway leaders defeat fifth-place Malaga.

“I liked my team’s attitude, Raul Albiol and Fabio Coentrao have come in and played well and the others have done a job. It’s not easy to create here, we did enough to score but we didn’t make many chances,” said Mourinho.

The Portuguese coach was questioned about captain Iker Casillas, who he recently controversially dropped, but refused to say if the goalkeeper would be in the team on Tuesday against Valencia in the Spanish Cup.

“Casillas has done well in the last two games and we have been good defensively but it’s too early to say whether he’ll be playing against Valencia,” said Mourinho.

Ronaldo missed his first game after 60 consecutive league appearances with a one-match suspension while Sergio Ramos was also absent at the start of a five-game ban.

Mourinho was able to welcome back Gonzalo Higuain and Coentrao after injuries and preferred Albiol to start only his third league game of the season over Ricardo Carvalho in the centre of defence.

It was not until the 25th minute that there was a meaningful attempt on goal.

Osasuna defender Marc Beltran was alert to clear from almost on the goal-line after Higuain had rounded the goalkeeper and centred for Sami Khedira.

Angel Di Maria then shot over for Madrid while Alvaro Cejudo went close at the other end.

Real Madrid’s midfielder Jose Maria Callejon (L) fights for the ball with Osasuna’s defender Alejandro Arribas during their Spanish league football match at the Reyno de Navarra stadium in Pamplona on January 12, 2013. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

Jose Callejon almost surprised Andres Fernandez in the Osasuna goal with a header that went just over on 35 minutes and Cejudo turned cleverly before blasting over.

Within a minute of the second-half, Casillas was called into his first meaningful action to block a drive from Kike Sola.

Mourinho changed things around just before the hour mark, replacing Higuain with Karim Benzema and introducing Kaka for a subdued Di Maria.

But things got worse for Madrid when Kaka received a second yellow card within 18 minutes of coming on, leaving his side a man down for the final 15 minutes.

Spanish international forward Roberto Soldado got the goals as Valencia beat Sevilla 2-0.

Both goals came from corners, the first just after half-time when he was quickest to react to stab home from close range before heading the second home with two minutes remaining.

That makes it eleven goals in the league for Soldado and his side remain seventh on 30 points.

For Sevilla it is just one victory in seven since they thrashed their city rivals Betis 5-1 and the pressure is on coach Michel Gonzalez whose side remain in the bottom half.

German winger Patrick Ebert scored twice and set up the third for Oscar to help Valladolid beat Mallorca 3-1.

Ebert’s return to the side was particularly welcome for Valladolid after just over a month out through injury in which his side has failed to win a game.

Sergio Garcia hit a first-half goal to give Espanyol a crucial 1-0 win over Celta Vigo and move the Barcelona side out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.