Real Madrid might have started slow on Easter Sunday against Athletic Bilbao, but the beautiful Karim Benzema awoke in the second half to bag himself a fantastic hat-trick and guide Los Blancos to an easy win.
Karim Benzema is not just in form right now, he is scorching hot. Despite a lackluster first half that saw more yellow cards than quality chances, the Big Benz once again was the man Real Madrid needed to pick up all three points at the Santiago Bernabéu this afternoon.
In the opening 45, Zinedine Zidane’s side were stifled by the pressure of the Bilbao midfield and defense. These two sides had drawn in their previous three La Liga meetings and going into halftime, it looked like it was going to be a four straight.
Neither side was able to get a whiff of goal during that first frame. In fact, the two teams combined to total just three shots.
The aware Karim Benzema and some mistakes from the visitors in the middle of the park set up Real’s first goal just a minute into the second half. Toni Kroos found himself in acres of space crossing the midfield line which – as we all know – is a terrible sign for opposing teams.
He took his time, picked out Marco Asensio down the left wing, and let the speedy forward swing a picture-perfect cross to the middle of the box where Benzema latched on and thumped the ball into the back of the net.
The momentum tilted entirely towards Real Madrid and they didn’t look back. Just two minutes after the goal, Kroos came with in centimeters of making it 2-0 and Marcelo did as well not 30 seconds later as he skied a close range shot into the second level of the stadium.
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Bilbao did threaten goalkeeper Keylor Navas a couple times just after the hour mark, but the Costa Rican looked comfortable throughout thanks to great help from his defense.
Benz scored his second on the day in the 76th minute as he once again headed home a fantastic cross. This time, it was Luka Modric showing his precision crossing as Karim darted to the back post and scored with ease.
The hat-trick goal came in the dying seconds of the match as a huge mistake by Bilbao goalkeeper Iago Herrerín left the goal vacant for Karim Benzema to easily chip the ball in. Gareth Bale deserves a lot of credit for his play during this sequence as he possessed the loose ball Herreín tried to clear, took his time, and set up Karim nicely.
Although the scoreline might indicate a blowout, Bilbao played good defense and really made the home side earn the three points. Zidane should be proud of the fight his team showed today.
Side Notes
- Real Madrid center back Jesús Vallejo not only made his first start since early October, but played a fantastic 90 minutes alongside Raphael Varane. He was clinical in his passing, he completely shutdown Bilbao striker Iñaki Williams, and most importantly, he looked calm.
- Keylor Navas picked up yet another clean sheet this afternoon – his sixth of the season – and once again showed to the world that he still a first class keeper. Navas has now allowed 19 goals in 19 appearances this season. A much better record than Thibaut Courtois.
- I think Zidane is the Karim Benzema whisperer. In the seven matches since he returned as manager, Benzema has scored 10 goal and has three assists. He has now scored in six of those seven matches and leads the team in total goals with 31 in 50 appearances. What a year for Benz!
- Los Blancos could still finish in second in La Liga. I know it might be a stretch, but with five matches still to play and Atletico leading by just four points, anything can happen.
The team will have very little time to celebrate this victory as they will begin preparations for the mid-week clash against crosstown rivals Getafe. Madridistas should be happy with the spirit and fight the team put out today. This is a great result against a solid team.