Hazard and Benzema make it look easy to keep Real Madrid in Liga title race

By the time Karim Benzema scored his second goal - and Real Madrid’s third against Valencia on Thursday night - Eden Hazard was already taking his rest. A few minutes earlier he'd been replaced by Vinicius Junior. 

On the back of an injury-plagued season - and a three-month period without any competitive action at all - no risks can be taken by Zinedine Zidane with his new No.7.

It didn’t matter that Hazard wasn’t on the pitch by that time. His job was done; an expert assist for Benzema’s first goal and a lively showing in combination up front alongside the Frenchman demonstrated that this all-time Premier League great is on his way back to his best.

"This was a really good game from Hazard," Zidane said later. "Physically, he was good and played 80 minutes. Sometimes you might think he's starting to look tired, but then he picks up the ball and sprints away."

Nothing he did though could top what Benzema did to finally put Madrid out of Valencia’s sights and firmly back alongside Barcelona in the Liga title race. The third goal was so good it appeared choreographed.

Marco Asensio, who had earlier scored 31 seconds into his comeback after a year out through injury, nudged the ball into Benzema’s path. And for a man who until now in 2020 had a difficult time locating the goal, this was otherworldly.

Taking the ball first on his right foot to evade a Valencia challenge, he then smashed a first-time, left-footed volley past Jesper Cillessen. That made it 3-0 to Real Madrid at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano. Game over; the title race very much alive with a trip to an out-of-sorts Real Sociedad to come on Sunday.

"It looks easy, but you have to do it so fast," the 32-year-old told the club's website afterwards. 

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Valencia might well count themselves unlucky not to have gone ahead on the night because this initially shaped up to be a difficult evening for the 13-time European champions.

Albert Celades’s side did well to hold Madrid at bay in the first half. The visitors played on the counter and were a marginal VAR call from taking the lead when Rodrigo poked home after Maxi Gomez was adjudged offside.

Madrid have had trouble in the goalscoring department under Zidane in his second spell in charge and, after a drop off in the second half against Eibar last week, it appeared they were lacking steam again.

Zidane’s midfield selections were odd. A midfield diamond featuring Casemiro, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Fede Valverde was ill at ease. It never got going and that experiment didn't work; too slow, too predictable. 

Ahead of them however Hazard and Benzema were given licence to play freely and are beginning to establish a profitable partnership. Once Zidane made some alterations, Madrid played better all round with the combination between Benzema and Hazard no less effective after the break.

After being supplied with a wonderful Modric pass it was the Belgium captain who fed Benzema for the opening goal just after the hour. The second also came down the left when Ferland Mendy’s pullback located Asensio, who had a moment to treasure after so much injury difficulty. 

Asensio played his part in the third for good measure at the end of what was a spectacular second half for Madrid. Benzema now has 242 goals in Madrid colours, good enough for fifth on the all-time list, and behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul, Di Stefano and Santillana. 

"I didn't imagine anything like this, I'm very happy. I've been working for a long time now and I always put it in to keep improving," Benzema said after the game. "I hope I can keep going. I'm very happy to be playing for this club."

The win was enough to put them back within two points of Barcelona, who must now go to Sevilla and take something in order to keep their rivals at bay.