Real Madrid vs Real Betis, Live Score and Commentary, La Liga 2016-17

Until next time, goodbye and take care.

This is Shaurya Vineet signing off. Feel free to get in touch with me on Twitter if you have any comments or feedback. You can hit me up @ShauryaVineet.
It was a pleasure bringing you all the action live from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid couldn't care less about the manner in which the victory game and will rejoice having restored their position at the top of the table. However, Zidane's side would have to come up with more solid performances if they want to beat Barcelona to the La Liga title.

And finally, Madrid should have been down to 9 men when Marcelo twice fouled Ceballos in the closing stages of the game. However, the Brazilian - who was already on a yellow - escaped without further punishment.

Then came the goal by Cristiano Ronaldo, which was ruled out for offside. Another incorrect decision by the linesman.

Now coming back to the controversies. Keylor Navas should never have been on the pitch to let in the first goal by Betis as he denied a clear goal-scoring chance to Branasac - who was through on goal. Navas cleared out the Betis player and the referee not even signal a foul for it, when it was a straight red card and a free-kick in a dangerous position for the away side.

The game was full of controversies but before that here's a quick recap of the goals. A Keylor Navas howler allowed Betis to open the scoring in the first-half when Sanabria's tame shot was allowed to go over the line by the Costa Rican international. Ronaldo equalized just before the stroke of half-time before Sergio Ramos did - what he does best. Score late winners.

The Real Madrid captain was left unmarked in the box and he punished the away side with a bullet header, helping his team get all the 3 points.

Real Betis will feel hard done by some poor refereeing. They put their blood, sweat and some more into the game but walk away with nothing.

Real Madrid have nicked a 2-1 win against Real Betis but they won't mind the fashion in which they came. The win helps Zidane's side climb to the top of the La Liga table. Los Blancos are now 2 points ahead of arch-rivals Barcelona and have a game in hand. The title is theirs to lose now.

90+3' Full-Time: Real Madrid 2-1 Real Betis

90+2' What a SAVE by Navas. Durmisi curls a ball into the box from the left and Sanabria is there to guide it towards the near post of Navas, who dives and makes an excellent save to keep his side ahead.

90' 3 minutes of added time.

89' Marcelo is a lucky man to stay on the pitch. The Brazilian first trips Ceballos before catching his ankle and the referee blows for a foul. However, he decides the foul was not worth a second booking and Marcelo survives. On any other day, it was a second booking for the Brazilian.

87' Yellow Card: Marcelo is booked for a late challenge.

87' Substitution: Alexander Moreno comes on to replace Branasac while Rafa Navarro came on to replace Mandi slightly earlier.

Madrid have leapfrogged Barcelona into the top spot of the La Liga table. Unless Betis score, things will remain the same.

Real Betis will feel hard done here. They should have had the man advantage for most of the game but benefitting from some incompetent refereeing, Navas was allowed to stay on. To add to their woes, Piccini was sent off and instead Madrid ended up having the numerical advantage. They now find themselves a goal down too and it looks unlikely that they will come back from this.

Yes Sergio!!!
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) March 12, 2017

After some sustained pressure from Madrid, they win a corner. The corner is swung in by Kroos and Ramos is allowed to make a run and connect with the ball and he does it with aplomb guiding the ball past a helpless Adan. Ramos was left unmarked in the box - that is a cardinal sin from what we have seen over the years.

81' GOOOAAAALLLL!!! Who else but Sergio Ramos, who makes it 2-1 for Real Madrid.

79' Kroos takes the resulting free-kick as he lifts the ball into the box to find an unmarked Ronaldo, who is let down by a poor first touch, and another chance goes begging for Los Blancos.

Betis will have to survive the remaining 12 minutes plus added time with 10 men.

Meanwhile, Madrid make a quick sub as Asensio comes on to replace Isco.

78' RED CARD! Piccini is shown a second yellow card for tugging back Vasquez and the Italian has been giving his marching orders.

76' Ronaldo has space inside the box but his shot is off target. Cristiano is released down the middle by an accurate ball by Isco. The Portuguese lines it up before unleashing his right-foot but the shot is off target. Betis will take that but you would expect more from the 4-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Another poor decision making by the referees but one cannot say that Madrid have been robbed off a goal as the Betis players and the goalkeeper saw the flag and stopped their involvement.

73' Ronaldo makes a run towards goal to get on the end of Modric's over the top ball, the Portuguese gets there and lifts the ball over the keeper, however, the assistant had his flag up for offside. The ball, as you would expect, found the back of the net and replays confirm that the Ronaldo was indeed ONSIDE.

71' Substitution: Karim Benzema comes on to replace Alvaro Morata.

71' Madrid have a sustained spell of possession as they look to find a way past the resilient Betis defence. But it ends with Morata coming off for Benzema.

Vasquez has been thrown on by Zidane in a bid to take advantage of the tiring legs of the away side.

69' Substitution: Lucas Vasquez comes on to replace James Rodriguez as Zidane makes his first change of the night.

68' Piccini glides past a challenge from Marcelo before trying to get the better of Nacho but can only win a corner for his side. Betis fail to threaten from the resulting corner.

65' Substitution: Petros Dos Santos comes on to replace Ruben Castro - who missed a couple of good chances.

62' Ronaldo goes down under a challenge from Pezzella after being put through on goal. The Real Madrid players ask for a foul but the referee waves play on and correctly so.

Benzema is seen warming up as Zidane prepares for his first change.

59' Betis have been impressive this half and enjoy a spell of possession. Castro shoots wide when provided with the opportunity to make it 2-1, as he fails to beat Navas with a side-footed shot.

55' Ronaldo gets to the byline before trying to cross the ball into the box but his cross is easily cleared and Betis try to counter but to no avail.

53' Marcelo curls a delightful box into the box and Adan is forced to come out and punch the ball as Morata is unmarked in the box. The former Real Madrid man connects with his punch but the ball falls to James who cannot control it and lays it off for Isco but the Spaniard also fails to get a shot on target.

Betis are applying the pressure early on in the half. Victor Sanchez's side have to be careful, not to afford too much space to the Real Madrid players in the search for a goal.

49' After the corner is partly cleared by Madrid, Durmisi curls the ball into the box, which is headed goalwards by Mandi only for Navas to hold onto the ball this time.

48' Real Betis win their first corner of the game after some good work by Piccini down the right.

Can Real Madrid take advantage of still being with 11 men??

46' PEEP! And we are back underway in the second half.

The second half should be an interesting one. As things stand, Madrid and Barcelona are level on points with the latter having played a game more but have a better goal difference.

Real Madrid dominated proceedings at the start before Betis started to trouble them on the counter. Then came the moment of the big controversy as Keylor Navas wasn't even booked for a clear cut foul on Branasac, denying him a clear goalscoring opportunity. The referee didn't even whistle for a foul and Navas miraculously survived.

However, the Costa Rican didn't make the most of his reprieve as he allowed a simple shot from Sanabria to bounce out of his grip and trickle past the goal line. Ronaldo then scored for Zidane's side with a simple header, bringing the two teams on level terms as they go back into the break.

The referee blows the whistle for half-time exactly as the clock strikes 45. He is not interested in any added minutes, he just wants to go back inside - it seems.

45' Half-time: Real Madrid 1-1 Real Betis

1 - Keylor Navas is the only goalkeeper to have scored an own goal in La Liga this season. Pressure.
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 12, 2017

Stat Attack: This was Cristiano Ronaldo's first league goal against Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu. To think it took him so long to open this account, is baffling at best.

Marcelo bombs down the left after Betis give away possession cheaply, the Brazilian swings in a pin-point cross which is guided home by Ronaldo - the easiest of finishes for the Ballon d'Or winner. Morata's decoy run had pulled away the two central defenders allowing Ronaldo the space to wreak havoc.

40' GOAAALLLL!!!! Real Madrid score and it is Cristiano Ronaldo, who else?