Karim Benzema spared Real Madrid's blushes with a match-winning brace in 2-1 victory over Eibar… but he could have scored SIX!
2018/2019 La Liga
2-1
Match Events
Real Madrid were disappointing yet again on Saturday but managed to beat Eibar 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to Karim Benzema.
Zinedine Zidane's men were out to produce a response following Wednesday's defeat at Valencia, and although their collective performance was underwhelming, Benzema proved decisive to give Los Blancos' coach a win in his 100th LaLiga game at the helm.
Feisty Eibar deservedly held a half-time ahead, with Barcelona-owned Marc Cardona rounding off a lovely move with a clever finish.
The hosts' pressure told after the break, however, with Benzema - who previously had two goals disallowed - netting with a towering header to restore parity before repeating that feat late on to secure all three points.
After his brace, Benzema also missed a sitter and hit the post once before the final whistle.
Match Events
10' OFFSIDE! Benzema's goal disallowed
Bale pulls away from his defender to make a run into the box. All of the Eibar players seem to have just stopped as he squares it across to Benzema who taps the ball into the net, but he was offside and the goal doesn't stand.
39' GOAL! Real Madrid 0-1 Eibar (Cardona)
Some great build-up play from Eibar down the left wing just drew in the Madrid defenders and Escalante's pass played in Cardona took a touch before lifting the ball over Navas and into the back of the net.
56' OFFSIDE! Benzema's goal disallowed
Dmitrovic was quickly out of his box to try and clear the pass but it's a poor effort to clear it. Instead, the ball bounces up and lands to Benzema who calmly slots it into the bottom of the empty net.
It went to VAR to see if the Frenchman was offside when the pass was played to him and they say that he was so the goal is disallowed.
59' GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Eibar (Benzema)
BENZEMA DRAWS MADRID LEVEL! This time he held his run perfectly to make sure he wouldn't be caught offside when Asensio's cross came in and he rose above the defender to get his head on the ball and direct it down into the ground and over the keeper to find back of the net.
81' GOAL! Real Madrid 2-1 Eibar (Benzema)
BENZEMA GIVES MADRID THE LEAD! The initial corner is played short and the Eibar players just drift away from Benzema in the middle of the box and when Kroos puts the cross in, he is in a lot of space to direct his header into the back of the net. There was a check by VAR to make sure Kroos was onside but the goal stands.
88' Another great chance for Benzema!
The goalkeeper had come off his line to try and stop Vazquez from getting on the end of the ball, but he was flapping and couldn't get close. The substitute played in Benzema once again and instead of finding the back of an empty net, he chipped his shot over the crossbar.
93' Benzema hits the post!
He picks up the ball on the left of the box and cuts back inside to try and curl his effort into the far post, and he comes so close to getting his hat-trick again but this time he's denied by the woodwork.
Line-ups
Real Madrid XI: Navas, Odriozola, Varane, Nacho, Reguilon, Valverde, Modric, Isco, Bale, Benzema, Asensio
Subs: Luca Zidane, Vallejo, Ceballos, Casemiro, Brahim Diaz, Kroos, Lucas Vazquez
Eibar XI: Dmitrovic, De Blasis, Ramis, Paulo Oliveira, Cote, Cardona, Escalante, Sergio Alvarez, Joan Jordán, Cucurella, Sergi Enrich
Subs: Riesgo, Pena, Kike Garcia, Pere Milla, Charles, Orellana