Benzema strikes twice as Real beat Elche 4-0

MADRID: Real Madrid earned a comfortable 4-0 home win over bottom side Elche in La Liga on Wednesday (Feb 15), restoring their eight-point gap to leaders Barcelona.

Real, who on Saturday won the Club World Cup for a record-extending fifth time, are second in the standings on 48 points from 21 games - behind table-toppers Barcelona who are on an unbeaten run of 12 games.

Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric were all on target as Real, without the suspended Vinicius Jr, wasted no time and could have opened the scoring four minutes into the game but defender Eder Militao narrowly missed the target from distance.

Asensio, however, effortlessly slalomed past the Elche defence four minutes later to put Real in front with a low shot inside the bottom left corner.

Striker Benzema doubled their advantage from the spot just after the half-hour mark, firing into the top right corner after Carlo Ancelotti's side were given a penalty for a handball.

Scoring his goal number 229, the Frenchman surpassed former captain Raul Gonzalez (228) to become La Liga's fifth highest scorer and second-best scorer in the league for Real Madrid, with only Cristiano Ronaldo in front with 311 goals.

The France forward went on to make it 3-0 one minute into first-half stoppage time through another penalty, awarded to Real for a foul on forward Rodrygo.

Early in the second half Rodrygo had two close chances himself but Elche goalkeeper Edgar Badia denied him both times.

The hosts, however, continued to enjoy possession and create chances, and increased the scoreline again in the 80th minute with a superb shot by Modric from the edge of the box.

Elche had their best chance in the 38th minute when defender Jose Angel Carmona connected with a precise pass