With Karim Benzema again from damage, Real Madrid acquired again on the highway to successful the Spanish league after the France striker scored two penalties in a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Benzema, who additionally had one other spot kick saved in Vigo, missed Madrid’s 4-0 defeat to Barcelona earlier than the two-week worldwide break as he recovered from a left-leg damage.
Celta took the sport to the league leaders, solely to be undone by some rash defending in its space and a few borderline calls by the referee. The third penalty that arrange Benzema’s Seventieth-minute winner got here after a questionable foul when Ferland Mendy stumbled over the leg of Kevin Vázquez. Celta additionally had a purpose waived off within the first half after a video assessment.
“The first two were penalties, but the third was not,” Celta striker Iago Aspas stated. “Mendy was going full steam and ran over our defender. I think it was a foul in our favor.”
Madrid opened a 12-point hole over Sevilla and Atlético Madrid and a 15-point hole over Barcelona.
Next up, Madrid visits London on Wednesday to start out its Champions League quarterfinal with Chelsea.
João Félix and substitute Luis Suárez every scored twice to assist Atlético beat Alavés 4-1 and preserve its successful streak earlier than visiting Manchester City on Tuesday in Europe’s final eight.
Benzema’s brace took his tally to 34 objectives throughout all competitions, his greatest scoring mark since he joined Madrid 13 seasons in the past. His earlier greatest was 32 in 2012. He has eight extra league video games and the rest of the Champions League so as to add to his haul.
Benzema additionally equaled Alfredo Di Stéfano as Madrid’s third-highest scorer within the Spanish league with 216. He trails solely Raúl González (228) and Cristiano Ronaldo (312).
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti missed the match after testing constructive for COVID-19. His son, Davide Ancelotti, took his place.
Benzema put Madrid forward within the nineteenth from the spot after Madrid defender der Militão was fouled by Nolito.
Despite falling behind early, Celta produced extra scoring possibilities than the pacesetters, and it paid off within the 52nd when Aspas performed the ball broad to Javi Galán, who squared the ball again into the center of the realm for the unmarked Nolito to beat Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for 1-1.
After Celta’s Jeison Murillo tripped substitute Rodgyro within the field, Benzema’s spot kick within the sixty fourth was saved by Dituro, who was carrying a baseball cap to maintain out the glare from the setting solar.
But a couple of minutes later, Dituro could not cease Benzema’s third spot kick simply contained in the left put up.
“Winning today is important,” Courtois stated. “Chelsea lost at home. It will be another great game. We have to make sure we play with intensity, which is something we sometimes are missing.”
Celta ahead Santi Mina was used as a late substitute after he spent this week on trial for allegedly having raped a girl in 2017. The verdict is predicted in weeks.
FÉLIX ON FIRE
Atlético’s sixth consecutive win moved it into third place degree on factors with Sevilla, which visits fourth-placed Barcelona on Sunday.
Félix opened with an Eleventh-minute header. After Gonzalo Escalante leveled for Alavés, Suárez fired in a spot kick within the seventy fifth following Florian Lejeune’s foul of Matheus Cunha.
Félix completed off a shot by Cunha that he arrange for his seventh purpose in his final eight appearances. Suárez then rounded off the route from a go by Cunha.
LIFELINE
José Morales scored twice to steer Levante’s 2-0 win over Villarreal and breathe some life into its bid to keep away from relegation. Levante was left 5 factors from security.
Villarreal’s loss got here earlier than it hosts Bayern Munich within the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday.
AGUIRRE DEBUT
Javier Aguirre’s debut as Mallorca’s new coach ended with a 1-0 loss at Getafe after the host scored late.
Aguirre, a veteran coach with huge expertise in Spain who has twice led the nationwide workforce of his native Mexico, changed Luis García Plaza. But the Balearic Island workforce suffered a seventh consecutive loss.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
