Asensio & Benzema's goal help Real Madrid return to second place and Eibar are now well and truly in a relegation battle.
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2020/2021 La Liga
2-0
Match Report
His header on 73 minutes from Vinicius’ cross made it 2-0 and finally finished off stubborn Eibar.
It was Brilliant Benzema's 18th goal in La Liga. He has scored nine in his last seven matches and has 24 now in all competitions.
He is on form and so are Madrid who are now three points behind leaders Atletico Madrid who play Sevilla tomorrow.
Benzema almost scored after just three minutes when he was gifted the ball by Alejandro Pozo’s slopp pass. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when Benzema tried to finish instead of picking out the unmarked Sergio Asensio and Marko Dmitrovic got down well to make a good save.
Two minutes later and Pozo was back in trouble with Marcelo turning away from him into space and crossing deep to Benzema who headed past Dmitrovic. Madrid celebrated but the flag was raised.
On minute nine Marcelo crossed again from the left where he was operating as a wing-back in Madrid’s 3-5-2. Casemiro went down under a challenge from Rafa Soares but VAR ruled that he had not pulled the Brazilian down.
Eibar were lucky to be on terms and their first chance came when Anaitz Arbilla tried to catch Thibaut Courtois out from his own half but was wide of the target.
The next audacious effort was from Asensio and it came back off the crossbar. Eibar defenders were expecting a cross but Asensio went for goal and hit the woodwork.
Pozo then got forward and skipped past Nacho before curling a shot just wide. The Madrid defender was one card from missing next weekend’s Clasico and not in the mood to rush in as the defender broke.
Eibar’s greatest threat so often comes from 20-year-old Bryan Gil but he was having to chase Lucas Vazquez more than the Madrid man was chasing him. He was also booked for a shirt pull on his rival and almost saw a second for a foul on Casemiro.
On 36 minutes Madrid had the ball in the back of the net again and again it was ruled out for offside. Isco’s cross-shot was back-heel flicked through the legs of Dmitrovich who already had his hand up as he fell-back the victim of Asensio’s nutmeg.
At the third time of the asking Madrid finally took the lead. Casemiro lost the ball in midfield but in a flash won it back and played a killer ball through to Asensio whose first touch sent him into space from where he clipped his shot over the dive of Dmitrovic.
Gil was now hobbling and after a chat with Eibar coach Jose Luis Mendilibar on the touchline Takashi Inui began to warm-up. He came on for the winger at the restart. Pape Diop forced Courtois to make another save but Madrid more than deserved their half time lead.
Asensio had been the man of the first half and after the restart he went close to a second with another curling shot from distance that Dmitrovich tipped over.
Benzema had the next chance from Lucas’ pinpoint cross but he headed harmlessly over the crossbar.
For all their dominance Madrid were still only 1-0 up and with the rain now come down diagonally Courtois' error almost gifted an equaliser.
Lucas played the ball back to the keeper who thought he had the measure of it but it picked up pace in the wind and went past him. He recovered sliding in to hook it clear and ending up tangled in the back of his own net but still with his clean sheet intact.
Casemiro then had the ball in the net once more, only for the flag to be raised again. Casemiro passed the ball into the net from outside the area but substitute Sergio Arribas had been offside.
Benzema finally got the calming second from Vinicius’ perfectly weighted cross.
He has now scored 187 goals for Real Madrid and is the fourth highest scorer in the club’s history.
He has only Raul, Alfredo di Stefano and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of him. It was a nice way to go into the biggest week of Madrid’s season when they face Barcelona between home and away meetings with Liverpool. They have a better chance with Benzema in this form.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
4' Benzema Misses a good chance
6' Disallowed! Benzema scores but the goal is offside
10' Casemiro goes down in the box but ref says no penalty!
19' Yellow Card! Gil booked
22' Asensio's free kick hits the bar
32' Pozo's shot wide out
37' OFFSIDE! Asensio’s goal disallowed
40' GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Eibar (Asensio)
51' Asensio's shot denied
63' Courtois makes a timely clearence
70' NO GOAL! Casemiro's shot ruled out for an earlier offside
72' GOAL! Real Madrid 2-0 Eibar (Benzema)
88' Courtois makes a decent save
Line-ups
Real Madrid XI: Modric, Benzema, Marcelo, Courtois, Casemiro, Isco, Nacho, Vazquez, F Mendy, Asensio, Militao
Subs: Kroos, Varane, Mariano, Odriozola, A. Lunin, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Altube, Sergio Arribas
Eibar XI: Diop, Pedro Leon, Arbilla, Kike, Alvarez, Dmitrovic, Oliveira, Rafa, A.García, Pozo, Gil
Subs: Inui, Gonzalez, Yoel, Cote, Enrich, Rodrigues, Burgos, Miguel Atienza, Unai Arieta, Unai Dufur