After a stuttering of form as of late for Real Madrid in which they have earned 4 points from a possible 9 and subsequently given up top spot in the table to Barcelona it was a return to their best on Saturday as they travelled to the Basque Region to take on Eibar.
Last week saw a dramatic draw with Las Palmas at The Bernabeu as Gareth Bale was sent off and Cristiano Ronaldo was on hand to drag Real back from the dead with two goals. Although Los Blancos were without Bale through suspension they did not have the same problems last weekend when facing Eibar.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring on 14 minutes and by the 25th minute Zinedine Zidane’s side were already 2-0 up and coasting towards a victory which at the time would have put them top what with Barcelona not playing Celta until later in the Evening.
The three points would be wrapped up before the half hour when James Rodriguez made it 3-0 as Benzema this time turned provider with the Colombian international slid the ball home from close range.
The pace of the game dropped after the break with Real in cruise control but they still had time to score a fourth. Rodriguez was denied a brace by the woodwork but with the rebound falling to Marco Asensio, Real’s advantage was extended further.
They perhaps took their foot off the gas at that point as Ruben Pena scored a scant consolation for Eibar as they game ended 4-1. A crushing defeat for the home side but that should not take the shine off what has been a very impressive season. As for Real they will now focus on playing host to Real Betis on Sunday night where the gap at the top could temporarily be as many as four points as Barcelona travel to Deportivo earlier in the day.
Here is all you need to know from Saturday