MADRID: With Sergio Ramos out injured, Raphael Varane stepped up to lead Real Madrid to victory.

He did it with goals, too, lil(e his team-mate in central defence has often done recently.

Varane scored twice in the second half to help the defending champions come from behind to win at lastplaced Huesca 2-1 in La Liga on Saturday.

`It had been a while since I had scored for Real,` said Varane, who just completed a year without finding the net. :You need to keep having faith. When the ball is in the attack I try to move forward and today I could score.

Ramos earlier Saturday underwent surgery on a leftknee meniscus that had been bothering him. He is expected to be sidelined for about six weeks.

The victory moved Real back into second place in the standings, closer to league leaders Atletico Madrid, who visit struggling Celta Vigo on Monday.

Real trail Atletico by seven points and are one point in front of Sevilla, who routed Getafe 3-0 later on Saturday.

`We showed great character rallying for the win, said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who was back on the bench after being out following a positive coronavirus test.

Among Real`s recent setbacks were a loss to Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup and embarrassing elimination by third-division club Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey round of 32.

Another setback was on the cards when Huesca scored from Javi Galan`s shot into the top corner following a 48th-minute counterattack.

The hosts twice hit the woodwork while leading but Real equalised with a closerange header by Varane in the 55th after Karim Benzema`s free kick struck the crossbar.

Varane added his second from close range in the 84th after a header by Casemiro.

Sevilla moved above Barcelona into third after seeing off Getafe, who caved after defender Djene Dakonam was sent off in the 54th minute for a nasty challenge on Lucas Ocampos` ankle.

As Ocampos left the field in tears on a stretcher, an argument broke out between Sevilla`s Julen Lopetegui and Getafe`s Jose Bordalas, with both coaches also shown red cards and sent to the stands.

Munir El Haddadi sidefooted in for Sevilla 13 minutes later before new signing Papu Gomez found the top corner and Youssef En-Nesyri continued his scoring streak to make it three.

Second-botom Elche rallied from two goals down to draw with fifth-placed Villarreal 2-2. Guido Carrillo and Lucas Boy scored second-half goals after Gerard Moreno put the visitors ahead with a double within the first 35 minutes.

Earlier, veteran striker Roberto Soldado scored in second-half injury time for Granada to draw at Levante 2-2.-Agencies