Real Madrid: 5 key players to watch against Eibar

Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images)
Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Real Madrid, Karim Benzema
Real Madrid, Karim Benzema (Photo by Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) /

CF Karim Benzema

Eibar have allowed 10 goals in La Liga this season, which is the fourth-lowest total in the league. Only Atletico Madrid, Real Sociedad, and Sevilla have better defensive records than Eibar, who have received quality goalkeeping from Marko Dmitrovic.

Karim Benzema is the man in form, though. He had a brace against Borussia Monchengladbach in a must-win match and was the star of the show again vs. Athletic Club with another brace. The legendary No. 9 has 10 goals in all competitions, and he’s just starting to hit another rich vein of form with more goals to come.

Los Merengues must trust Benzema to be the one to break the deadlock on Matchday 14. Eibar will make life difficult for Real, and Benz can be counted on to find the finish needed.

CB Sergio Ramos

There is another player who can make the difference on Sunday as a goal-scorer, but he is a defender and not a striker.

Sergio Ramos was second to Karim Benzema in the goal-scoring column last season, and the all-time great center back has found the back of the net three times this season thus far. There are still more goals to come for Ramos, whose value on set pieces and from the penalty spot could come in handy against Eibar.

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Defensively, Ramos should be able to keep Kike Garcia under wraps, so even though he’s a center back, his ability to impact the attack will be even more important on Matchday 14. Ramos is one of the world’s best ball-playing center backs, as he is leading the team with 90 passes attempted per La Liga match and a pass completion percentage over 90 percent. His work in Real’s build-up play could prove important, too.