Karim Benzema scored one goal and set up another to help Real Madrid beat Alavés 2-0 on Friday, restoring a four-point lead over Barcelona in the Spanish league with only three rounds left.
Benzema scored a penalty kick in the 11th minute and assisted Marco Asensio in the 50th to ensure Madrid remained on course to dethroning Lionel Messi’s team for the first time in three years.
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Karim Benzema scored one goal and set up another to help Real Madrid beat Alavés 2-0 on Friday, restoring a four-point lead over Barcelona in the Spanish league with only three rounds left.
Madrid will finish the season with matches against Granada, Villarreal, and Leganés.
NEW DEFENSE
The new-look defense kept a fifth clean sheet in a row for Madrid.
Madrid won its previous two matches by 1-0 both thanks to late penalties converted by Ramos.
Madrid took full control just after halftime when Benzema broke Alavés’ offside trap to reach Rodrygo’s through-ball. Benzema drew Jiménez to him and laid off for Asensio to tap into the open net. A video review had to overturn the initial decision that Benzema was offside.
GRANADA WINS
The French striker led Madrid to an eighth straight victory since La Liga resumed play after stopping for three months due to the pandemic.
Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy, right, is blocked with penalty by Deportivo Alaves' Ximo Navarro, during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 10, 2020. (AP PhotoBernat Armangue)
Madrid will finish the season with matches against Granada, Villarreal, and Leganés.
Barcelona has games against Valladolid, Osasuna, and Alavés before the competition concludes on July 19.
Madrid holds the tiebreaker on head-to-head goals if they finish level on points.
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, left, dribbles past Deportivo Alaves' Edgar Mendez, during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 10, 2020. (AP PhotoBernat Armangue)
NEW DEFENSE
Zinedine Zidane had to experiment in defense with Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal serving suspensions and Marcelo and Nacho Fernández injured.
While the left side was held down by the experienced Raphael Varane and sometimes starter Ferland Mendy, the right side went to Éder Militão in just his ninth league start of the campaign and Lucas Vázquez, a forward.
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema shoots to score a penalty against Deportivo Alaves during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 10, 2020. (AP PhotoBernat Armangue)
The new-look defense kept a fifth clean sheet in a row for Madrid.
Vázquez’s inexperience in defense showed three minutes into the match when Edgar Méndez dribbled past him and sent a cross to the second post, where Joselu Sanmartín headed the ball off the bar. Casemiro then had to block a follow-up header of the rebound by Lucas Pérez.
Mendy cued Madrid’s first goal when he broke into the area and was tripped by Ximo Navarro from a clumsy tackle attempt. With Ramos, Madrid’s regular penalty taker, unavailable, Benzema converted. His 18th league goal of the season is second only to Messi's 22.
Real Madrid's head coach Zinedine Zidane, talks to his players prior to the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 10, 2020. (AP PhotoBernat Armangue)
Madrid won its previous two matches by 1-0 both thanks to late penalties converted by Ramos.
Alavés goalkeeper Roberto Jiménez saved Víctor Camarasa from sending Mendy’s dangerous low cross into his own net in the 18th as the left back continued to cause Alavés problems with his speed.
Alavés tried to rally through Oliver Burke. The Scottish forward drew a save from Madrid goalie Thibaut Courtois in the 27th. Minutes later he dribbled past Vázquez and Militão, only to see Sanmartín scuff his dangerous pass back to the center of the area.
Real Madrid's Luka Modric, reacts after stopped during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 10, 2020. (AP PhotoBernat Armangue)
Madrid took full control just after halftime when Benzema broke Alavés’ offside trap to reach Rodrygo’s through-ball. Benzema drew Jiménez to him and laid off for Asensio to tap into the open net. A video review had to overturn the initial decision that Benzema was offside.
Alavés was playing its first match under new coach Juan Muñiz, who replaced Asier Garitano after the team lost five in a row. The new defeat left the Basque Country club three points above the relegation zone.
The match was played without fans in Madrid’s smaller Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium while the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is undergoing renovations.
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, right, celebrates after scoring a penalty against Deportivo Alaves with his teammate Marco Asensio during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 10, 2020. (AP PhotoBernat Armangue)
GRANADA WINS
Domingos Duarte scored the winning goal after setting up Granada’s opener in a 3-2 victory at Real Sociedad, keeping alive his side’s chances of qualifying for the Europa League.
Granada was level on points with Valencia, and one point behind Sociedad. The three are in contention with Getafe and Villarreal for a spot in the Europa League.
Deportivo Alaves' Oliver Burke, left, fights for the bad with Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Deportivo Alaves at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Friday, July 10, 2020. (AP PhotoBernat Armangue)
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