Real Madrid dash Barcelona comeback hopes as Karim Benzema rampage continues vs Celta Vigo | Football | Sport

Real Madrid star Karim Benzema scored two penalties away at Celta Vigo’s Estadio de Balaidos to haul his team through an almighty scare that might have left the door ajar for Barcelona to mount a late charge for the La Liga title. Despite having played at least one game more than the chasing pack, victory extends Los Blancos’ lead at the top to 12 points. 

Madrid were still reeling before kick-off as an agonising 4-0 demolition at the hands of El Clasico rivals Barca was left to fester during the international break. Ronald Araujo and Ferran Torres were on hand two weeks ago to add to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Bernabeu double and compound their rival’s misery. 

But it was Benzema who struck twice on Saturday evening to snatch three points from what would have been a disappointing draw against Celta Vigo. The Frenchman scored two penalties either side of a Nolito equaliser to make it happen, which takes his season’s total to 34 goals in all competitions. 

If Madrid had drawn and Barca went onto win both of their games in hand, Real’s lead at the top, which has been healthy for most of the season, would have been cut to just seven points. And given La Blaugrana’s momentum, exemplified by their 4-0 Bernabeu rout last month, Carlo Ancelotti and co may have been looking over their shoulder wary of a late Catalan surge. 

As it went, Benzema’s heroics have made sure that the title is still very much theirs to lose. It also extended his formidable run to 10 goals in his last seven games, with his only recent blank coming in the El Clasico defeat. 

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