MADRID - Real Madrid showed real character to close the gap on leader Barcelona to five points, winning 1-0 at Espanyol on Sunday, despite playing virtually the whole match with 10 men after goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas was sent off after just 90 seconds.

Brazilian international left back Marcelo scored the decisive goal on 23 minutes as Real took advantage of Barcelona's 1-1 draw against Sporting Gijon on Sunday to edge closer in the title race - but it took a battling display from Madrid's 'Galacticos'.

"Espanyol are a strong opponent and they always have fantastic support. Losing your goalkeeper in the second minute and giving a debut to another keeper was tough," said Real coach Jose Mourinho. "The players were fantastic, though, and we deserved to win."

Asked about the five-point gap held by Barcelona, the Portuguese manager said: "Five points is an advantage and I would like to be five points clear of second."

Real had collected one point from its past six on the road and got off to the worst possible start at the Cornella-El Prat with captain Casillas red-carded for a rash challenge outside the area.

Barely a minute and a half into the match, the keeper came out to stop Jose Callejon in his tracks on the edge of the box and the referee immediately brandished a red card.

Real boss Mourinho sacrificed Argentine winger Angel di Maria and substitute goalkeeper Antonio Adan, a 23-year-old from the youth academy, came on for an unexpected debut.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Real looked more dangerous and Sami Khedira tested Carlos Kameni in the fifth minute with a low drive before Marcelo clipped the top of the crossbar minutes later.

Real scored on 23 minutes with Ronaldo feeding Marcelo on the left and the Brazilian hammered a first-time shot past Carlos Kameni, who should have done better, to give the visitors the lead.

Madrid was the stronger side early in the second half although Espanyol was unlucky to have Callejon flagged offside in the 53rd minute when the striker was clear on goal.

The extra man started to tell as Espanyol dominated possession and it was backs to the wall for Real as it absorbed a good 15 minutes of pressure, but debutant Adan was largely untested.

Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor missed two great chances to wrap up the points for Real in the closing stages with Kameni foiling him on both occasions. However, the misses didn't prove costly.

Elsewhere, Villarreal fell two points behind rival Valencia in the Champions League race as it crashed to its second successive league defeat with a 1-0 loss at Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/15/2011 page22)