La Liga wrap: Real stay in touch, Getafe overrun Almeria

Real Madrid squeezed past Sevilla 1-0 despite going down to 10 men in La Liga on Sunday, while Getafe came from two goals down to beat Almeria.

Needing a win to return to within two points of leaders Barcelona, Real were held goalless in the opening 45 minutes by a dogged Sevilla side.

Tempers flared in the second half and Real found themselves reduced to 10 when centre-back Ricardo Carvalho received a second yellow card just after the hour mark.

But they continued to press for the breakthrough and it eventually came via a moment of magic from Argentina international Angel Di Maria, who beat Sevilla goalkeeper Andres Palop from an improbable angle on 75 minutes.

Sevilla also finished with 10 men after Mouhamadou Dabo was given a straight red for kicking out at the goal scorer during injury time.

It was a fitting conclusion to a petulant contest that saw 10 players enter the notebook of referee Carlos Gomez.

Real keep pace with Barca at the top of the table, while Sevilla remain 11th.

Elsewhere, Almeria, looking for successive wins for the first time this season after beating Sevilla 3-1 away from home last week, took a two-goal lead early on against visitors Getafe at the Estadio Mediterraneo.

Nigeria international Kalu Uche opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Jose Ulloa made it two on 24 minutes.

But Manu pulled one back for Getafe just four minutes later, and Venezuela international Miku struck to pull the visitors level two minutes into the second half.

The comeback was complete on 69 minutes when Ghanaian Derek Boateng back-heeled the winner past Diego Alves in the Almeria goal.

Getafe have now won four league games in a row to climb to seventh, while Almeria are 17th, clear of the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Tiago struck twice as Atletico Madrid beat Malaga 3-0 away from home.

The Portugal midfielder scored a goal in each half, with Alvaro Dominguez Soto notching the other.

Atletico climb to sixth, while Malaga stay third from bottom.

And Real Zaragoza gained a point in a 0-0 draw away to Osasuna but remain at the foot of the table.