Bale and Benzema fire Real Madrid to comfortable victory

Despite the comfortable 3-0 scorline in the end, the game was tight in the opening exchanges, with Jonathan Calleri and Alen Halilovic both going close for the hosts.

There was a blow for Real early on as Nacho had to be replaced by Achraf, with the defender now a major doubt for the Champions League clash with Juventus in miweek.

Gareth Bale looked like a man with a point to prove and Real should have taken the lead when he fed Marco Asensio with a fine ball with 23 minutes gone, only for Chichizola to make a good low save to deny him.

Just three minutes later though Bale cut out the middleman by opening the scoring himself. Las Palmas gave the ball away in their own half and Real punished them. Luka Modric set the Welshman away down the left and he powered an effort across the Las Palmas goalkeeper and into the top corner to open the scoring.

Just six minutes before the half-time whistle the hosts shot themselves in the foot as Calleri inexplicably tripped Lucas Vazquez to hand 'Los Blancos' a penalty, with Benzema stepping up to convert and mark his 400th Real Madrid appearance with a goal.

With that, Real went in at the break two goals to the good and they never looked like surrendering that lead.

In fact, just six minuted after the break they were three ahead. Again, Las Palmas played a major role in their own downfall as they conceded another penalty, with Ximo Navarro catching Bale as he looked to shoot.

Bale took the responsibility from the spot this time and he duly powered straight down the middle after bamboozling Chichizola with a stuttering run-up.

 

March 31, 2018

From that point on the game was over as a contest and Real Madrid could have run away with it in the latter stage, though there was certainly a feeling that their minds had switched to the Juventus game.

Benzema overhit his pass when attempting to present Bale with an open goal, before fluffing his lines from Lucas Vazquez's inviting low cross from the right.

In the end, Zinedine Zidane's side weren't punished for their profligacy, though Las Palmas did go close twice, first when Exposito could only blaze over after robbing Keylor Navas of possession, before Calleri saw a header clip the bar on its way over.

Bale's search for a hat-trick continued but in the end he was unable to find a third goal that would have been the icing on the cake for the Welshman.

The win sees Real move to within a point of city rivals Atletico in second, whilst Las Palmas remain in the bottom three, seven points from safety.

 

March 31, 2018