Real Madrid hosted Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu and applied more pressure on the top of the La Liga table with a 3-0 victory.
Goals from Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric were all that was needed for the hosts to see off a disappointing Yellow Submarine.
Benzema opened the scoring late in the first-half. A whipped cross from Christiano Ronaldo was parried away by Sergio Asenjo in the Villarreal goal, but only as far as the head of the Frenchman, whose quick reflexes saw the ball nestling in the back of the net.
Vazquez doubled the lead in the 69th minute after breaking down stubborn Villarreal defence. The Spaniard, in for the injured Gareth Bale, played a one-two with Benzema before releasing an unstoppable shot that had Asenjo beaten at his near post.
Modric rounded off the rout with the goal of the evening. Danilo broke down the right, showing lightning speed, and when he floated in his cross it was the Croatian who was on hand to slide the ball into the net.
Madrid can be happy with their three points, as it leaves them again just one point behind Barcelona. Thanks to other results Villarreal did not need a win to keep up their Champions League chasing campaign, still sitting six points ahead of Athletic Bilbao in fifth.
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Creativity bares results
Villarreal came to the Bernabeu with an extremely defensive game plan. Two banks of four set up shop on the edge of the penalty area, which made it increasingly difficult for the home side to break them down.
Real Madrid had to reach deep into their bucket of tricks to find ways to pierce the Yellow Submarine backline and their creativity was the reason they found cracks.
The first goal, while maybe just a case of wearing the away side down the whole half, was swift ball movement that saw it fired into the box and then luck, or poor goal keeping, took it to the head of Benzema.
The second and third were players taking the opportunity to run the ball, rather than continue to pass it around, which caught Villarreal off guard and led to the openings.
In a very similar way to Villarreal’s 3-0 loss to Barcelona at the Camp Nou this season where they had to dig something up to secure a victory, Real Madrid were held out and it was only through their imagination that they found a way through.
Marcelino’s game plan was futile
Deep defence and attack on the counter. That was the simple game plan going into the match, but it did not quite pan out that way for Marcelino’s men.
The defence they had in spades, but any counter-attacks were quickly shut down by a home line that had clearly studied their opponents.
Once the first goal went in it was game over for the Yellow Submarine and from that point had they have not shown up at the Bernabeu, it would not have made the slightest of differences.
While this game will not live long in the memory for fans of Villarreal, in a season that has produced so many highs it can be seen as nothing more than a blip.
Vazquez steps up
With Gareth Bale out injured it fell upon Vazquez to be the third member of Real’s attacking trident. To the surprise of many two of three scored on the night, but neither of them were named Cristiano.
Vazquez gave Antonio Rukavina a torrid time all evening with his darting runs and even after scoring a goal, continued to work tirelessly for his side until his substitution for Jese.
It was a clear statement of intent from the Spaniard as he puts himself at the top of the list should either Madrid winger be out again.
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