Karim Benzema scored a first-half hat trick to guide Real Madrid to a 4-2 win over Almeria in a Spanish league sport that included an damage scare for ahead Vinícius Júnior on Sarturday.
The comfy win over Almeria ensured Madrid remained in second place whereas Barcelona maintained its commanding 11-point lead after beating nine-man Real Betis 4-0.
But whether or not Madrid’s season ends in success or failure will hinge on subsequent weekend’s Copa del Rey last in opposition to Osasuna and its Champions League semifinal rematch from final season with Manchester City.
With Luka Modric already uncertain for these essential video games, the very last thing coach Carlo Ancelotti wanted was to see his finest winger seize his proper knee and ask to be substituted a number of minutes after banging right into a defender.
After the match Ancelotti stated Vinícius would doubtless be good to go.
“He had a knock on his knee that bothered him, but it’s nothing, just a knock,” Ancelotti stated. “I think he will be fine in a couple of days. He will be ready for the cup final.”
Fellow Brazil ahead Rodrygo additionally ended the sport on the bench with an ice pack on his left knee. But he did not appear to be injured.
Madrid has another Liga sport at Real Sociedad earlier than the Copa last in opposition to Osasuna in Seville. Three days later Madrid hosts City on May 9.
More importantly for Madrid, its gamers confirmed the ambition they lacked in a 4-2 loss at Girona midweek. That defeat led Ancelotti to confess his staff lacked motivation for the league with Barcelona to this point forward on the desk.
Benzema blitz
Benzema tapped within the fifth-minute opener on the Santiago Bernabeu after Vinícius dribbled previous Houboulang Mendes and used the skin of his proper boot to sq. the ball.
Rodrygo, who additionally scored Madrid’s fourth objective from lengthy vary simply after halftime, produced one other help for Benzema after an audacious dribbling transfer. With Almeria’s Samu Costa draped over his again, Rodrygo rolled the ball with the again of his boot to slide it behind the defender. He spun round Costa to select up his dribble and located Benzema to attain within the seventeenth.
Benzema’s third got here within the forty second from a spot kick after Largie Ramazani fouled Lucas Váquez.
Ancelotti, nevertheless, nonetheless had some worries about his protection after Lázaro scored in first-half damage time and Lucas Robertone headed in following Rodrygo’s objective.
“I don’t understand how in two games we have conceded six goals,” Ancelotti stated. “I am angry. I hope this serves as a message to my team.”
Vinícius and Eduardo Camavinga will each miss Tuesday’s sport at Real Sociedad after incomes one-game suspensions for accumulating 5 yellow playing cards.
Raining targets
Even the climate complemented Barcelona’s win over Betis because it rained steadily, bringing a little bit of reduction to one of many driest areas of drought-stricken Spain. The membership posted a message on Twitter saying “We love a rainy night.”
Betis’ Édgar González had an evening to overlook at Camp Nou. He changed the injured Luiz Felipe within the twelfth minute, however by the thirty third he was heading again to the bench after being despatched off with two yellow playing cards for fouls.
So it went for Betis, which noticed its probabilities for a Champions League berth fade. Manuel Pellegrini’s facet was left in sixth place at 9 factors behind Sociedad, which holds fourth place and the final spot for Europe’s elite competitors.
Barcelona was already successful due to a 14th-minute header by Andreas Christensen earlier than Édgar left Betis undermanned. Robert Lewandowski then took his league-leading tally to 19 targets, two greater than Benzema.
Raphinha, who crossed the ball for Christensen’s opener, added a 3rd objective within the thirty ninth.
Ousmane Dembélé went on late for his first look for the reason that Barcelona winger injured his left thigh in late January.
Betis veteran Joaquín Sánchez acquired an ovation from a big a part of Barcelona’s 88,000-strong crowd when he went on as a second-half substitute. The 41-year-old ahead not too long ago introduced he’ll retire after this season, the twenty third of his profession.
Betis completed with 9 males after Joaquín walked off with what appeared like a proper knee situation within the eightieth and all their substitutions made.
Betis’ Guido Rodríguez then turned a go by Ansu Fati into his personal web.
Teen debut
Fifteen-year-old Lamine Yamal debuted for Barcelona within the last minutes.
Barcelona stated the ahead is the youngest participant to play a Spanish league sport in membership historical past. In 1902, a 13-year-old performed for Barcelona in a cup competitors.
Yamal would have scored if not for a save by goalkeeper Rui Silva.
“I told him to try things. And boy did he do that, and at 15 years old, imagine that,” coach Xavi Hernández stated. “He virtually scored, virtually assisted for a teammate. He can grow to be a particular participant.”
Elche rolled to its largest win of an in any other case painful season when it beat Rayo Vallecano 4-0. The last-placed facet was nonetheless 16 factors from security with six video games left.