Real Madrid 2-0 Deportivo La Coruna: 5 talking points

Goals from Isco and Karim Benzema helped Real Madrid beat Deportivo 2-0 and move four points clear at the top of the table. But it was a far from assured performance from Carlo Ancelotti who made heavy work of beating a side who had won just two games away from home all season.Real took the lead in the 20th minute after Isco calmly curled in an effort from the edge of the box, moments after Cristiano Ronaldo missed an open goal. Although the visitors stayed in the game well into the second half, their attack simply lacked the cutting edge to breach Real's shaky defence. And in the end, Karim Benzema's calm chip in the 73rd minute sealed the points for the home side, who won their ninth-straight home game of the season.Here are the major talking points from the game.

#1 Real labour to lacklustre win

A loss to Atletico Madrid wasn't unusual. But what was unusual, was the lack of desire, shown by some of the Real players last weekend. If there was one thing Carlo Ancelotti would have wanted from his players on Saturday, is a response. A sign that the defeat to their bitter rivals was merely an off day and things were going to go back to normal. Although the home side won, there was nothing in their play that showed that intensity that the Italian would have been looking for.

While a win increases their lead to four points and helps forget the derby defeat, the performance of the side, both offensively and defensively wasn't the best. While the score line looks comfortable, the game certainly wasn't and it was only thanks to two moments of brilliance that Real won and that will certainly not sit well with the manager.

#2 Booing Bale needs to stop

Real Madrid have always been a club who have been impatient. Whether it is with players or coaches, they have always been quick to voice their displeasure. So far this season, Gareth Bale has been a victim of boos from a section of the Bernabeu, who are keen to make him a scapegoat, for missing chances. In the first half against Deportivo, the Welshman was the only Real Madrid player who looked threatening going forward and it was he who played a vital part in the first goal.

Although his offensive output decreased in the second half, he did a much better defensive job, helping out his full back and tracking runners. Yet, again on Saturday, a section of the crowd started to boo Bale early in the game, when he misplaced a pass. By the end of the game, along with Benzema, Bale, looked the most likely to create a goal and that, quite simply isn't something which merits being booed.

#3 Deportivo expose Real\'s fragile defence

Aside from the bottom three, only Getafe, in 15th have a worse scoring record this season than Deportivo. Yet, against Real Madrid, the visitors created plenty of chances, and were unlucky not to have scored, having even hit the cross bar in the second half. What the game once again showed was that although Real have the third best defensive record in the league and have now kept 10 clean sheets in 23 games, they still don't have an impenetrable defence.

Especially with the injury to Pepe and Sergio Ramos, Ancelotti has had to call on Nacho to fill in at centre back. Although their defence isn't a problem in La Liga, where they have been able to outscore opponents, it will be in the Champions League, where they will face better attacks and that is still a concern for the Italian manager.

#4 The end is near for Illarremendi

When Real Madrid made Asier Illarramendi their most-expensive Spanish signing in the summer of 2013, eyebrows were raised. And in the 18 months since making the move from Real Sociedad, the defensive midfielder has done little to silence the claims that he isn't a Real Madrid player. Against Deportivo, the 24-year-old once again struggled, failing to keep hold of the ball and always passing sideways and not forward. He also lost possession twice in dangerous areas and almost cost the home side the clean sheet.

His bad form is exacerbated by Isco, another player who was signed last season, but is starting to show his true worth to the Bernabeu faithful. Lucas Silva's arrival in the 71st minute, might be the last straw for the Basque midfielder, who might end up moving away from Madrid in the summer, after failing to take the chances presented to him.

#5 Ronaldo struggles yet again

2015 hasn't been a good year so far for Ronaldo. In the eight games that he has played this year, he has scored just four goals and assisted two more in all competitions. If that record doesn't look like a huge dip in form, it is because of the extraordinary standards he sets himself. While the goals in itself isn't a worry, the sending off at Cordoba, an anonymous showing against Atletico followed by a birthday party on the night of the game have meant that the Bernabeu faithful have started to boo their prodigal son.

Against Deportivo, it was more of the same, as he missed an open goal, headed over from six yards, misplaced simple passes, booted his free kicks into row Z and simply looked a shadow of himself in front of goal. Although there were a few brief flickers of light, like his 'elastica' in the first half and his assist for Benzema's goal, they were the exception rather than the norm on another frustrating night for the reigning Ballon d'Or winner.