BARCELONA: Playing his first match since his World Cup hopes were dashed by an injury, Karim Benzema came to the rescue of Real Madrid with a pair of late goals to snatch a 2-0 victory at 10-man Valladolid on Friday.
Benzema had a subdued showing in his first competitive match since Nov. 2 following injuries that had limited his availability for his club and finally sidelined him for his France at soccer’s elite competition.
But the Ballon d’Or winner came through in the final minutes to give Carlo Ancelotti’s side the three points it needed to provisionally move to the top of the Spanish league standings.
Madrid also relied on goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to keep the score deadlocked as they struggled to create chances in its first game since the league paused for seven weeks for the tournament in Qatar.