Frenchman Karim Benzema shot Real Madrid to within two points of joint La Liga leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with the winning goal in a scrappy 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano at Santiago Bernabeu.
Earlier, Antoine Griezmann fired a brace in a 3-2 win over Real Valladolid to take Atletico Madrid level with Barca.
Benzema’s 13th-minute strike was enough for Real to move up to third on 29 points, two behind Barca, who travel to Levante on Sunday evening, and second-placed Atleti. Sevilla have the chance to move back above Real and level with the leading pair when they host mid-table Girona early on Sunday.
However they were made to sweat for the victory points by plucky Rayo, who are second-from-bottom but would have snatched a point in stoppage time had Sergio Ramos not cleared the second of Thibaut Courtois’ double saves, from Alex Alegria and Emiliano Velazquez, off the line.
“That’s football,”…
Source: News Agency of Nigeria
