Pepe and Isco strike as Real respond to two first-half Valencia goals at the Bernabeu, earning a draw that leaves them four points adrift of leaders Barcelona

A rousing second-half fightback earned Real Madrid a 2-2 draw with Valencia from this evening’s La Liga clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Trailing to first-half goals from Paco Alcacer and Javi Fuego, the hosts thought they had a golden opportunity to pull one back when they were awarded a spot kick on the stroke of half time, only for penalty specialist Diego Alves to thwart Cristiano Ronaldo from 12 yards.

Their fightback commenced early in the second half when Pepe rose to head in from a corner and Isco completed a late turnaround by netting a 25-yard screamer with just six minutes remaining.

The draw leaves Los Blancos four points adrift of front runners Barcelona with two games to play, with a slip-up from Luis Enrique’s men their only hope of reaching top spot.

The defender discusses the Rossoblu, Paul Pogba and this week’s Champions League semi-final second leg in his full-time verdict

After putting in a typically combative performance at the heart of the Bianconeri defence in this evening’s 1-1 draw with Cagliari at Juventus Stadium, Andrea Barzagli was on hand to discuss a whole range of subjects in his post-match chat.

Here is a selection of his thoughts:

Cagliari

“I thought today’s game was tough, but we knew that beforehand. We did well and fought right until the end. Credit naturally goes to Cagliari, who put in a fine performance.”

Paul Pogba

“Paul is young and possesses such strength that he doesn’t need to get back into the swing of things regardless of his two-month absence. Today’s game was an important test and the boss will decide on his availability for Madrid.”

Champions League

“We’re very focused for Wednesday’s encounter and aware of its importance.

“We know that it’s a semi-final return leg and Real Madrid will give it their all. We’ll see if Kroos [who limped off injured during Los Blancos’ game with Valencia] will be fit enough, but we need to put in a great performance in order to progress.”

“Getting to the final would be fantastic for us, especially because so few thought we would make it this far. But we’re here and dreams are great, so let’s hope they come true.”