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Eibar - Real Madrid

Benzema LaLiga dry spell over as Real Madrid take control in Eibar

The French striker was given the goalscoring responsibilty for the trip to Ipurua in the absence of Cristiano and Bale, and with 25 minutes gone had already delivered.
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Update:
EIBAR, SPAIN - MARCH 04:  Karim Benzema of Real Madrid scores Real's 1st goal during the La Liga match between SD Eibar and Real Madrid CF at Estadio Municipal de Ipurua on March 4, 2017 in Eibar, Spain.  (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Denis DoyleGetty Images

Answering the doubters in style

Karim Benzema has his knockers - many of whom sit and whistle in the Santiago Bernabéu - but today against Eibar he has gone some way to answer them.

Often Zinedine Zidane's preferred formation of a front three, with Bale, Benzema and Cristiano being his first choice in those positions, hasn't worked as expected this season. Results have been coming but these have covered the cracks in some of the performances. Today, the Portugal and Wales stars were not in the matchday squad, nor was the other potential option, Álvaro Morata. This meant that the pressure was on Los Blancos' number nine to deliver.

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema sticks away his and the team's second goal.
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Real Madrid's Karim Benzema sticks away his and the team's second goal.VINCENT WESTREUTERS

Taking your chances when they come

And with just 13 minutes played the Frenchman delivered picking up a ball across the area from Asensio on the left (another player getting his chance in a much changed starting XI) and although his right foot effort was blocked by Eibar keeper, Yoel, Benzema made no mistake with the rebound off his left.

Fast-forward a 11 minutes and he was bulging the net again. This time a delicious delivery from the right by James and the striker timed his run to perfection to fire home ahead of the stranded keeper.

Madridistas have been waiting impatiently since early January, and two come along at once.