Karim Benzema scored his sixth goal in four games as Real Madrid beat Alaves 3-0 on Sunday for a fourth successive La Liga victory which took the European champions to within eight points of leaders Barcelona.
The French striker knocked a cross from Spanish left back Sergio Reguilon into the net from close range on the half hour mark, breaking the deadlock against an organised Alaves side who beat Real 1-0 earlier in the season at Mendizorrotza.
Brazilian teenager Vinicius Jr. sealed victory in the 80th minute, with substitute Mariano Diaz further stretching the home side’s lead in added time.
Santiago Solari’s side have burst into form in the last three weeks, beating Real Betis, Sevilla and Espanyol in the league and thrashing Girona 7-2 on aggregate in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
With second-placed Atletico Madrid losing at Real Betis earlier on Sunday and champions and league leaders Barca stumbling to a 2-2 home draw with Valencia, Real knew a win would see them gain ground on their rivals.
Real coach Solari has cut a frustrated figure during the team’s stop-start season but he was in bullish mood after the game.
“Today everyone could see how hungry we were to gain points on our rivals and we have done that. We’re going to fight for everything until the end of the season,” the Argentine told reporters.
“Madrid never give up and we are always hungry. We always go out to win every game, without doing the maths.”
The victory took Real to 42 points, cutting the gap on second-placed Atletico Madrid to two points ahead of next Saturday’s city derby, and moving within eight points of Barca, who they visit on Wednesday in a Copa del Rey semi-final first leg.
Real never looked like letting their lead slip after Benzema struck, but they did not see off Alaves until the in-form Vinicius tapped in a cross from substitute Marco Asensio to score his first La Liga goal.
Along with Benzema, Vinicius has spearheaded Real’s revival and it was the 18-year-old who had provided the through ball to 22-year-old Reguilon which led to Real taking the lead through Benzema.
The teenager provided more spark than Gareth Bale, who was substituted midway through the second half following a first start since returning from a muscle injury.
“He has been out for a while and little by little he’s picking up the pace. It was difficult for him because Alaves defend very well and there was little space,” Solari said of the Wales forward.
Spain international Alvaro Odriozola had a goal ruled out for offside but he teed up substitute Mariano Diaz, who completed the scoring with a diving header.
“We have been much better in 2019, we are in our best form of the season and we’re going to keep working like this to ensure we stay on this path until the end of the campaign,” Vinicius said.
Atletico suffer defeat at Betis
Atletico Madrid fell to their first La Liga defeat in five months as they were beaten 1-0 at Real Betis on Sunday, missing a golden chance to close the gap with leaders Barcelona and slipping six points adrift of the Catalans.
Alvaro Morata made his debut for Atletico after completing a loan move from Chelsea, but it was another former Real Madrid player in Sergio Canales who made the difference.
He scored a penalty midway through the second half to give Betis a victory which took them up to sixth in the table.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone was without five regular starters but was still able to field what looked to be an exciting, attacking lineup with pacey wingers Angel Correa and Thomas Lemar and Morata partnering the talismanic Antoine Griezmann up front.
Barca’s 2-2 draw with Valencia a day earlier had given Atletico the opportunity to move within three points of their title rivals yet they struggled to get a hold on the game, and it took a spectacular save from Jan Oblak to prevent Zouhair Feddal heading Betis in front midway through the first half.
Filipe Luis gave away the penalty which decided the game, striking the ball with his left arm as he attempted to chest it down, and although Oblak dived the right way, Canales’ spot-kick was too powerful for the Slovenian to reach.
Barca lead the standings on 50 points after 22 games, Atletico are second with 44 while third-placed Real Madrid, who play at home to Alaves later on Sunday and visit Atletico next week, have 39.
PSG suffer first Ligue 1 defeat of the season
Paris St Germain lost 2-1 at Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday to suffer their first Ligue 1 defeat of the season ahead of their Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United.
Thomas Tuchel’s PSG, without the injured Neymar, were overwhelmed at the Groupama stadium by Lyon who will play Barcelona in Europe’s premier club competition.
Nabil Fekir’s second-half penalty earned Lyon all three points after Moussa Dembele had cancelled out Angel Di Maria’s early opener for PSG.
PSG lead the table with 56 points from 21 games, 10 ahead of second-placed Lille who have played two more games. Lyon are third, three points further adrift.
The capital side lacked steel in midfield in the absence of injured Marco Verratti and missed the spark of Neymar, who will also sit out the Feb. 12 first leg against Manchester United at Old Trafford due to a foot injury.
Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe, spearheading the attack in a 4-4-2 formation, were subdued, raising concerns nine days before PSG face a resurgent United side.
PSG went ahead after seven minutes when Julian Draxler dispossessed Houssem Aouar and set up Di Maria on the edge of the box for the Argentine to score with a left-foot shot.
Lyon had the upper hand, though, and PSG were saved by six stops from Alphone Areola before he failed to handle a Leo Dubois cross, leaving Dembele free to head home from point-blank range in the 33rd minute.
Lyon took the lead four minutes into the second half, Fekir converting a penalty after Thiago Silva had fouled Dembele.
The visitors dominated the closing stages, but the Lyon defence and keeper Anthony Lopes held firm to hand the capital side their first league defeat since May.
Roma rally to draw with Milan
Teenaged midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo’s second-half goal rescued a point for AS Roma as they secured a 1-1 draw with AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday.
Gennaro Gattuso’s side maintained their place in the top four even though Krzysztof Piatek’s 26th-minute strike was cancelled out by 19-year-old Zaniolo’s effort after the interval. He became the youngest player to score three goals for Roma in Serie A since Francesco Totti in 1995.
Piatek scored his first league goal for Milan after joining from Genoa in the January transfer window.
Sections of the Stadio Olimpico crowd held protests against their own team after a week in which Roma surrendered a three-goal lead to draw with Atalanta in Serie A and suffered a humiliating 7-1 Coppa Italia defeat by Fiorentina.
Milan’s two winter signings combined for the opening goal as Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta robbed the ball off Lorenzo Pellegrini before his low cross was dispatched by Piatek from close range.
An inspired performance from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma kept Milan in front until the break, but there was nothing he could do to stop Zaniolo smashing his finish in from close range within a minute of the second half kicking off after he parried Mateo Musacchio’s goal-bound deflection into the path of the midfielder.
Roma continued to apply pressure but could not find a way past Donnarumma, who showed sharp reflexes to deny Edin Dzeko with 20 minutes remaining, before Pellegrini’s header hit the post as Milan weathered the storm.
The result leaves Milan fourth, and the final Champions League place, with 36 points from 22 games. Roma are one point behind in fifth.
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