Spanish League: La Liga logjam

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo slips on the pitch in their Spanish League match against Malaga at the La Rosaleda Stadium in Malaga on Sunday. The match ended 1-1, ensuring Real remained nine points behind leaders Barcelona. (Photo: AP)

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty as Real Madrid’s hopes of catching La Liga leaders Barcelona were all but ended with a 1-1 draw at Malaga on Sunday.

Madrid remain nine points behind Barca with 13 games to go after Raul Albentosa cancelled out Ronaldo’s opener.

Atletico Madrid also failed to gain significant ground on Barca as they were held 0-0 at home by Villarreal to move eight points behind in second.

However, Gary Neville’s upturn in fortunes as Valencia boss continued with a third win in a week, 2-1 at Granada.

Zinedine Zidane’s men were left to rue Ronaldo’s miss from the spot to make it 2-0 before the break when Carlos Kameni dived to his left to parry the three-time World Player of the Year’s effort.

“It is obviously going to be difficult because we have dropped two points, but we won’t give up,” said Zidane.

“There are 39 points still to play for. You think the league is lost, but the players and myself don’t believe that.”

Madrid were without the injured Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, while James Rodriguez was left on the bench by Zidane.

The visitors were lucky to go in front as Ronaldo headed home Toni Kroos’s free-kick despite clearly standing in an offside position.

There was no doubt about the penalty award two minutes later, though, when Ronaldo was brought down by Weligton.

Yet, despite being normally lethal from the spot, the Portuguese was denied by a fine low save by Kameni.

Chances were far harder to come by at the Vicente Calderon as the two best defences in the league stood firm.

Atletico’s top scorer Antoine Griezmann headed Juanfran’s inch-perfect cross just wide before Angel Correa’s audacious chipped effort forced Villarreal goalkeeper Alphonse Areola into his only serious save after half-time.

And Villarreal could have snatched all three points on the break when Cedric Bakambu blazed over with just Jan Oblak to beat.

A point consolidates Villarreal’s position in fourth, five points adrift of Real Madrid.

Elsewhere, Neville’s Valencia again rode their luck, but recorded back-to-back league wins for just the second time this season as Granada passed up a wave of second-half opportunities.