Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid brushed off an early goal and thrashed Real Sociedad 4-1 without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, ensuring it remained top of the Spanish league on Saturday.
Defending champion Atletico Madrid stayed in contact with its crosstown rivals before the two clash next week, after Mario Mandzukic also grabbed a brace of early goals in its 3-1 victory at Sociedad Deportiva Eibar.
Ronaldo watched from the stands at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as he served the first of a two-game ban for kicking a Cordoba player last weekend.
Photo: Reuters
His team did not miss him, though, as David Moyes’ Sociedad failed to build on a goal scored 36 seconds into the match, displaying little of the verve from its stunning 4-2 victory over Madrid in August last year before the arrival of the former Manchester United manager.
“As has happened in other games, we didn’t start well, and we conceded a goal,” Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said.
“The same happened at Cordoba and against Atletico in the Copa [del Rey],” he added. “We have to improve that. Then we defended well and we pressed up front. We played very well in the second half.”
Madrid has a game in hand that it will play against Sevilla on Wednesday before it turns to the derby at Atletico.
Only Geronimo Rulli’s goalkeeping spared Sociedad a bigger defeat as it slipped into 12th place and remained the only team yet to win away in the league this season.
Sociedad defender Aritz Elustondo headed in his first goal for the Basque club moments after kickoff, but Madrid never looked back after James Rodriguez headed the hosts level from Marcelo’s pass in the third minute.
Dangerous early on, Sociedad did not threaten after forward Carlos Vela hurt his right knee and had to be substituted in the 17th.
Sergio Ramos blasted in a rebound before halftime, while Benzema made it 3-1 from Gareth Bale’s assist soon after the break.
He then struck an exquisite second goal in the 76th when he received the ball near the corner of the box and curled an unstoppable strike around Rulli.
“I knew when I struck it the shot was good,” Benzema said. “But I didn’t know it was going to be so beautiful.”
Atletico bounced back from its midweek elimination from the Copa del Rey to Barcelona with a commanding win under less than ideal playing conditions.
Because the muddy field at Ipurua Stadium slowed the ball and stopped passes short of their recipients, Atletico smartly attacked through the air.
Antoine Griezmann tallied his 11th league goal in the seventh minute, and lobbed for Mandzukic to redirect into the net in the 23rd.
Two minutes later, Mandzukic hit in his 10th league goal after Eibar failed to clear. Federico Piovaccari got eighth-place Eibar’s goal one minute from time.
In other results, it was:
‧ Granada 1, Elche 0
‧ RC Celta de Vigo 1, Cordoba 0
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