Liga: Karim Benzema’s brace gives Real Madrid victory against Athletic Bilbao

Real Madrid are back at the top of La Liga, thanks to a fourth success in a row, the third in the league. But it was hard, that one, against an attractive team of Athletic Bilbao, which evolved to ten against eleven for a good part of the meeting (3-1). If he was able to equalize, the Basque club ended up giving in to a double from Karim Benzema. Without convincing, the men of Zinédine Zidane confirm their renewal and can once again dream big at the dawn of the transition to 2021.

No one knows what would have happened if Raul Garcia had not weighed down his family by receiving, in quick succession, two yellow cards synonymous with expulsion (13th). But the fact remains that he did not help his team, yet better returned to the match against very shy and too intermittent Merengue. This little help from fate did not make life too much easier for Real, so much so that it was not until the end of the first period to see a first goal, signed Toni Kroos, at a normally pivotal moment (1-0, 45th + 2).

We thought the case was over. It was without counting the reaction of pride of the Basques, never stingy in efforts. Taking advantage of a one-two with Oscar De Marcos, Ander Capa went beyond his role to deceive Thibaut Courtois in two stages and sow doubt in the minds of Madrid (1-1, 52nd). And there was doubt since Real Madrid had all the trouble in the world to take the lead, due to a game too static to get around a good defense. Fortunately, the club from the Spanish capital has in its ranks a certain Karim Benzema, who gave him the advantage by winning the lead (2-1, 74th). The Basques were not yet beaten and it took a great Courtois to repel a strike from Mikel Vesga. In the process, Benzema offered himself a double, trompe l’oeil (3-1, 90th + 2).

Real Madrid could still count on their executives to extend their great streak. Zidane’s players had not yet been able to string together four wins in a row this season and this first allows them to come back to the level of Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid in the standings. The Colchoneros, however, have two games less. What promises us a great fight for the title, even if the Merengue sometimes give the impression of evolving on a thread. In virtual crisis ten days ago, today in the costume of a boss likely to keep his crown.