Ramos saves Real Madrid as fans target Ronaldo

Madrid - Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos struck twice within eight first-half minutes to get the European champion back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

Related - Watch: Ramos becomes 4th La Liga defender to hit 50-goal mark

Madrid's 40-game unbeaten run had come to a crashing halt with back-to-back defeats to Sevilla and Celta Vigo in the past week, but after a nervy start Ramos ensured Los Blancos opened up a four-point gap at the top of the table.

Ramos opened the scoring with a towering header from a Toni Kroos corner on 35 minutes.

And the Spanish international soon took his career tally to 50 La Liga goals by bundling home another Kroos delivery despite standing in an offside position.

Juanpi got Malaga back into the game just after the hour mark and could even have snatched a point but for a fine save from Keylor Navas.

Second-placed Sevilla and Barcelona, a further point adrift in third, can close the gap when they travel to Osasuna and Eibar respectively on Sunday.

Whilst Ramos was riding to Real's rescue, Cristiano Ronaldo endured another forgetful afternoon in front of goal and was even whistled by the Madrid fans early on after a sluggish start to 2017.

Ronaldo shot straight at Carlos Kameni with just the Cameroonian to beat and Karim Benzema headed just over as Madrid started brightly.

However, the host side suffered an early blow when left-back Marcelo limped off with an injury, and could have been behind midway through the first half when Castro's driven effort came back off the post.

Ignacio Camacho was also inches away from giving the visitor the lead when his header flew across the Madrid goal.

However, Ramos looked to have settled Real's nerves when he leapt highest to power home Kroos' outswinging corner 10 minutes before the break.

And eight minutes later Ramos had his eighth goal of the season, albeit in scrappier fashion, as he appeared to be offside when tapping home Kroos's low free-kick.

Malaga is yet to register a point in three games under new boss Marcelo Romero since Juande Ramos' surprise December resignation.