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Real Madrid were brighter and more energetic in their first La Liga game after the nationwide lockdown as they saw Eibar off with a two-goal margin at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadi on Sunday.
The three-month break has clearly helped rejuvenate Zinedine Zidane's side as the hosts opened the game up early in the third minute. Casemiro played in Karim Benzema on the left flank and the towering striker tried in vain to cut his way through Eibar's defence.
Although the opportunity seemed lost momentarily, the loose ball landed favourably for Toni Kroos on the outskirts of the box. Without a moment's thought, the German star flicked an unexpected one-time chip past Marko Dmitrovic's outstretched hand and into the top corner of the goal.
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Thirty minutes in, Eibar's poorly constructed attempt to work through the Los Blancos defence was intercepted by Sergio Ramos, who immediately started a fast-paced counter-attack. Giving the ball to Benzema, the defender surged along, effectively disrupting Eibar's man-marking tactics. Benzema easily found Eden Hazard down on the right wing, and the former Chelsea star laid the ball for Ramos to increase the tally to two.
Marcelo made it three goals for Real Madrid seven minutes later to ensure a strong first-half display. Benzema and Hazard teamed up once again and executed a sublime one-two pass that saw the latter facing Dmitrovic's goal. The Belgian's shot was parried and the loose ball was cleared poorly. Marcelo picked it up just outside the box and unleashed a powerful outer-foot curler beyond the keeper.
Real Madrid eased up in the second half and Eibar saw a few strong chances to score but didn't take them too well. Substitute Sergi Enrich powered a header at goal from a corner kick but only hit the crossbar. It was a horrible deflection and a major fumble by Thibaut Courtois that saw the ball finally enter the net on Eibar's behalf.
With these results, Real Madrid have reduced Barcelona's lead to two points and currently sit in second place on the standings. Eibar, on the other hand, are sitting well within reach of the red zone and need to up their game against Athletic Club on Wednesday.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five hits and flops from the game:
#5 Karim Benzema: Hit
Real Madrid frontman Karim Benzema played brilliantly against Eibar and his performance throughout the first half ensured a solid lead for the Bernabeu outfit. Playing in a deeper role, the Frenchman held up the ball for his teammates, set up attacks, laid off through-passes and directed the flow of the game for Los Blancos.
The striker will be unhappy about not getting on the scoresheet himself, but to be fair, he never got a single shot at goal throughout the game. However, that doesn't matter much as his contributions would have been more than enough for Zidane.
#4 Thibaut Courtois: Flop
Thibaut Courtois might have been slightly bored throughout the first half, with Real Madrid dominating most of the game, but this certainly came back to bite him in the second half. Making a horrendous mistake due to an unintended deflection, the Belgian goalkeeper let the ball slip in between his legs, while fumbling badly to make a save.
While he didn't need to do too much else, gifting Eibar a goal was enough to reduce his ratings. He will certainly need a lot of determination to bounce back from such a silly error in between the sticks.
#3 Sergio Ramos: Hit
Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos showcased his attacking prowess in the game by actively starting a counter-attack. He kept pace with his teammates in order to beat opposing defenders, beat the offside trap and sealed the deal with a brilliantly-placed shot.
The experienced centre-back was solid in defence as well, making three clearances and two interceptions. His centre-back partner Raphael Varane did more of the work in the backline, leaving Ramos to traipse up the pitch at will.
#2 Kike Garcia: Flop
Kike Garcia did very little to help his team in their build-up plays and ended up making the fewest touches by any Eibar starting lineup player. It didn't come as too much of a surprise when he was subbed off in the 56th minute after an unconvincing hour of play.
The experienced striker took zero shots at goal, failed to win a single aerial challenge and had a difficult time making himself available for his teammates. He also made no efforts defensively and managed to make only one tackle throughout the game.
#1 Eden Hazard: Hit
Eden Hazard was a major threat for Eibar throughout the game and displayed a scintillating performance for Real Madrid. The former Chelsea man ran between his opponents, passed accurately, surged into spaces, drew fouls to himself, and assisted Sergio Ramos' goal. His impact is too significant to ignore and he certainly shut his critics with his brilliant display, which included a selfless assist.
Notably, Karim Benzema and Hazard look like they're finally finding their rhythm and sourcing out each other, and this was evident in the passes that led to Real Madrid's goals against Eibar. While he couldn't put his name on the scoresheet today, his work rate was phenomenal and it added flair to what was a shining performance.
