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Benzema stars as Real Madrid keep the pace with Barcelona

The win took second-placed Real Madrid to 62 points after 29 games, two behind champions Barceloma who had defeated Leganes 2-0 in a mid-week game.

Karim Benzema

Bengaluru, June 19: Karim Benzema netted a brace including one that could be a possible candidate for one of the goals of the La Liga season as Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 at in yet another match marred by VAR controversy.

The French star fired into the bottom corner to give Real the lead on the hour mark after inspired play by Eden Hazard, who fashioned a one-two with Luka Modric before sliding to the ground to nudge the ball into the path of the French striker.

Marco Asensio scored with his first touch since injuring his knee 11 months ago to double Real's lead in the 74th minute.

Benzema rounded off the win with a jaw-dropping volley which he set up by receiving the ball in the air, flicking it from his right foot to his left and sending it flying into the top corner.

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The win took second-placed Real Madrid to 62 points after 29 games, two behind champions Barcelona who had defeated Leganes 2-0 in a mid-week game.

Results | Points Table | Fixtures

However, the match had it share of VAR disputes when Valencia looked to have taken the lead after Rodrigo Moreno netted in the 20th minute.

VAR dispute

But long after the players had celebrated the goal it was chalked off for off-side against Maxi Gomez, even though the striker had not touched the ball.

The visitors faded in the second half after causing Real problems in the first and their frustrations deepened after the third goal when teenage midfielder Kang-In Lee was shown a straight red card for hacking at Sergio Ramos.

Rodrigo had struck the post before his disallowed goal while Geoffrey Kondogbia was denied by Real keeper Thibaut Courtois at the end of a frantic first half.

Valencia's Jasper Cillessen made two smart saves with his legs to thwart Hazard and Dani Carvajal before the break but the second half belonged to Zinedine Zidane's side.

"We started well but after that Valencia grew into the game and we knew we had to change something and push higher up the pitch, that's what we did and we won the game," said Asensio, who had a dream return after expecting to miss the whole season before the campaign was interrupted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Story first published: Friday, June 19, 2020, 8:30 [IST]
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