Benzema misses 2 penalties in 7 minutes as Herrera frustrates Real Madrid ace

The striker had a rare off-day in La Liga as he failed to keep up his sparkling recent form in front of the net

Karim Benzema is having a season to remember with Real Madrid in 2021-22 - but he gave a reminder on Wednesday that he is still human.

The France star had two chances to net from the penalty spot within the space of seven minutes against Osasuna, and failed to score on either occasion.

Sergio Herrera was Osasuna's hero between the posts, making him one of the few goalkeepers to get the better of Benzema in the current campaign.

Benzema frustrated by keeping heroics

Benzema entered Wednesday's Liga clash on a high following a sparkling run of form.

Since the start of March he has smashed 13 goals for Madrid in just eight games, a streak that has sent the Merengue to the Champions League semi-finals and to the brink of the Primera Division title.

The veteran has also been deadly from the spot, converting nine and missing just two of the 11 penalties he had taken prior to the trip to Osasuna.

Yet Herrera proved his equal, saving both efforts after 51 and 58 minutes to keep the hosts within a single goal - making him the first Liga player to err twice from the spot in a single game for 16 years.

David Alaba and Marco Asensio both scored in the first half for the title hopefuls, while Ante Budimir kept Osasuna in touch with his own early strike.