Madrid past Valladolid in La Liga

VALLADOLID, Mar 11 (Reuters): Real Madrid ended a three-game losing streak by winning 4-1 at Real Valladolid in a chaotic game on Sunday in which the hosts had two goals ruled out, missed a penalty and hit the woodwork while the visitors had Casemiro sent off late on.

Karim Benzema scored twice after the interval with a penalty and a header from a corner to give Santiago Solari's side a 3-1 lead, after Raphael Varane struck in the 34th minute to cancel out Anuar Tuhami's goal for Valladolid five minutes earlier.

Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric then showed his class to stretch Madrid's lead in the 85th after Casemiro was dismissed for earning two bookings.

Modric's goal completed a highly entertaining and eventful match at the Jose Zorilla stadium, which experienced a power cut before kick off, although the game began on schedule.

The victory is unlikely to extend Argentine Solari's stay, with reports in Spanish media predicting he will be sacked on Monday having only taken the reins permanently in mid-November after succeeding Julen Lopetegui, who was sacked in October.

Madrid had endured one of their worst ever weeks before the game, exiting the Champions League in the last 16 with a 4-1 home defeat by Ajax Amsterdam after sustaining successive losses to Barcelona which ended their hopes of winning any silverware.

Sunday's win took Madrid to 49 points and they are 12 adrift of leaders Barca and five behind second-placed Atletico Madrid.

"It is an emotional game and it has been a difficult week, the opponent plays too and today they gave a lot of energy but my players delivered," Solari told reporters.