CLASSIFICATION | CALENDAR
MADRID – The way is clear: with a still brilliant Karim Benzema and author of a bright heel, Real Madrid beat the last of Liga, Espanyol Barcelona, 1-0, this Sunday for the 32nd day of the championship, and returned first two points to FC Barcelona.
The Benzema season: author of a brilliant inspiration on this heel for Casemiro, who only had to push the ball into the cages of Diego Lopez for the opening of the score (45th), the French striker of Real Madrid Karim Benzema has once again turned into the hero of the evening, to propel Real two points in front of Barça at the head of Liga, a perhaps decisive advantage six days from the end of the championship.
“With this class gesture, I think of genius, yes, I think of all the people who like to see beautiful football, like me, like you, like all the enthusiasts who like to see this kind of gesture”, commented the Coach Zinedine Zidane at the post-match press conference.
Already the author of a double against Valencia on June 18, then the decisive goal at Real Sociedad last Sunday, Benzema (32) returned stronger than ever after the interruption of three months because of the pandemic, to put the Real Madrid on track for a potential 34th La Liga title (a record), the second for coach Zidane, after that of 2017.
Cazorla, Benzema: two jewels
Second in the top scorers of the Spanish championship (17 goals) behind the monster Lionel Messi (21 goals), held in check with Barça in Vigo on Saturday (2-2), the French center-forward stood out by his altruism on Sunday, with this decisive jewel for the Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, author of his 4th goal this season in La Liga for his return from suspension.
With without doubt one of the best assists of the season a few hours after the other five-star service by Santi Cazorla in Villarreal’s victory against Valencia (2-0), “KB9”, 107 assists to Real since 2009 , is getting closer to the two best smugglers in the White House for the past 25 years: Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo (116 assists each at Real).
An offering described instantly as “magic” on social networks by Guti, author of the “heel of God”, the most striking in Real Madrid’s recent history, against La Coruña on January 30, 2010 … for the purpose of Karim Benzema. But Zidane, after the match, said he had a preference for that of his current protégé.
“It was a very nice action, but above all very important, because it is a decisive pass which allows us to win this match. I see football like that, I knew that Casemiro was coming from behind, “summed up the Frenchman on Movistar + after the game.
Benzema, who has been reborn since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus Turin and who is delivering his most successful exercise in Madrid, also illustrated himself by making a permanent threat loom in the surface of Diego Lopez, who broke without conceding a penalty in the 43rd. He also asked the doorman of Espanyol at the 35th and 50th, without success.
With a big “Karim”, Real (1st, 71 pts) thus gleaned its fifth victory in as many games since the resumption of the championship on June 11, and headed straight for the title …
” It is not finished “
Despite the warning from Catalan defender Gérard Piqué, who posted the following message on social media earlier this Sunday: “Remember one thing, we are Barça and it is not all over yet. Fighting to the end is part of our DNA ”.
But the calendar may complicate things for the Blaugranas: while Barça must meet Atlético Madrid, solid third in the championship in full renaissance since the resumption, Tuesday evening at Camp Nou, then the 5th and candidate for the Champions League Villarreal next Sunday, the Merengues will have an easier end of the season, with three teams from the second half of the table in the last six games.
And with Eden Hazard who should be on his feet, despite his limping out Sunday evening and with ice on his feet, after several “blows” received to the legs according to Zidane.
Espanyol, for its part, resisted well in the first period against the new leader, making forget for a few moments his place as a Liga red lantern, ten points from the maintenance, and his problems on the bench.
Barcelona’s “other club” sacked its third coach of the season, Abelardo, on Saturday and left the team to sports director Rufete. The latter succeeds David Gallego (August – October 2019), Pablo Machin (October – December 2019), and therefore Abelardo (December 2019 – June 2020).
