Real Madrid extended their lead at the top of the La Liga table after beating Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
The Los Blancos faced Bilbao in their matchday nine outstanding fixture and looked confident ahead of the game after a good run of form. Since losing to Espanyol in October, Carlo Ancelotti’s men have won all of their subsequent games except for the goalless draw with Osasuna.
Karim Benzema’s 40th-minute strike was enough for the league leaders, who extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points.
Ancelotti made one change to the starting lineup which beat Sevilla over the weekend with Lucas Vazquez taking the place of Dani Carvajal, who was given a rest by the manager.
With the absence of Inigo Martinez due to suspension, Marcelino named Unai Nunez in the centre-back’s place for the away side. Coming into the game without a win in their last five games, Bilbao were hoping to take at least a draw from the game but Madrid were too good for Marcelino’s side.
Vinicius Junior proved to be the strongest headache for the away side from the start of the game, creating four chances in the opening 20 minutes of the game. The youngster has been on sensational form all season and has received plaudits for his improvement.
After a frustrating first 30 minutes, Karim Benzema found the back of the net with five minutes to go until the halftime whistle. The Frenchman latched onto a Luka Modric assist to put his side in the lead and give them a breather as they headed into the break.
Just as has been the case for the majority of the season, Thibaut Courtois made some good saves in the second half and ensure that Madrid won all three points at the Bernabeu, while also winning the Man of the Match award.
