Benzema on fire as Madrid win in Eibar

Real Madrid and Eibar have played seven matches in history, five of them in LaLiga after 2014 (the remaining two were played in Copa del Rey 2003-04 season with Madrid going through).

They had to come back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 against Las Palmas midweek thanks to two late Cristiano Ronaldo goals.

Enjoying some sort of a renaissance, the Ghana global is expected to sign a contract extension when the season comes to an end. It’s not easy when you’re not playing often. Benzema returned the favour for his Colombian team-mate to net his first league goal since September and put Real 3-0 up inside the first half an hour.

“The (Real Madrid) medical staff feel an operation is needed”, Marca reported. Eibar sits in a very respectable seventh.

Scoring goals could be a problem for Real Madrid in this match, with Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Alvaro Morata all out of this game. On Real Madrid’s third goal, it was Benzema’s lovely pass (from a passing angle that wasn’t as easy as Benzema made it look) that found James.

Eibar midfielder Pedro Leon knows full well the challenge which will await the home side, no matter what form Real Madrid may be bringing.

“I have 24 players and my message has always been the same since I arrived: everyone is important”.

Salgado, who finished his career at Blackburn Rovers, lives and breathes Madrid and is even married to the daughter of former Real president Lorenzo Sanz.

Isco joined Mariano Diaz and Mateo Kovacic on the field as Zidane used all three of his substitutions in the second period, but it was Eibar that continued to dominate the ball as they looked to score an unlikely second goal.

“Beforehand the tie is lost, but with some marvellous circumstances.we can get ourselves back into the tie if we play very well”, Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar.

Casemiro has also been included the squad after being rested during Madrid’s last fixture and is expected to start alongside Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in midfield.

Vazquez was needlessly fouled on the right flank and from the resulting free-kick, Rodriguez’s looping ball found Benzema in acres of space before the 29-year-old poked home.