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Real Madrid moved to within two points of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, thanks to a 4-1 win at Granada.
Luka Modric opened the scoring for Los Blancos before Rodrygo scored his first of the campaign on the cusp of half-time to double Real Madrid's lead. Alvaro Odriozola restored Los Blancos' two-goal lead after Jorge Molina had reduced arrears for the hosts. But Karim Benzema made it 4-1 for Real Madrid as the champions saw out a comfortable win.
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It was a commanding performance from Real Madrid as they looked comfortable on the ball and were the better team for large swathes of the game. Luka Modric was outstanding as usual, while Benzema continued his fine form in front of goal.
With the win, Real Madrid have usurped their arch-rivals Barcelona to stay in touch with city rivals Atletico, who stayed top after a 2-1 win against Real Sociedad. On that note, let's have a look at five talking points from the game.
#1 Real Madrid continue their unbeaten La Liga run
Real Madrid continued their impressive unbeaten streak in La Liga to keep up the pressure on the league leaders. The defending champions are now undefeated in their last 16 league games as they eye back-to- back league titles for the first time in more than a decade.
Zinedine Zidane's men have won 11 of their last 16 La Liga games. They have been solid at both ends of the pitch this term, scoring 64 goals (second-best in the league) and conceded 27 goals (second-best again).
While they could not keep a clean sheet on the night, Real Madrid remain in position to capitalise on any slip-up from the league leaders, with only two games remaining this season.
#2 Luka Modric sizzles with an imperious all-round display
Luka Modric was Real Madrid's best player on the field against Granada. The Croatian metronome covered a lot of ground and was involved at both ends of the pitch.
His intelligent run helped him score the opener. At times, he was one of the first players to make a run in the final third behind Benzema, playing the role of a second striker. The Croatian also didn't hesitate to make tackles on the opposition.
Modric had more touches than any other player on the pitch, leading his team in tackles and passes completed. His goal marked the first time the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner netted four league strikes in a single campaign for Real Madrid.
Also Read: 10 highest-paid players in La Liga this season (2020-21).
#3 Real Madrid capitalise on Barcelona's slip-up to move second
Real Madrid know the importance of stepping up at the fag end of the season. They won ten games in a row to clinch the league title last year. Their latest win against Granada helped them leapfrog arch-rivals Barcelona in a tense La Liga title race.
Barcelona could have temporarily gone atop the standings but twice squandered leads against Levante in a thrilling 3-3 draw. That allowed Los Blancos to replace their arch-rivals in second place.
#4 Karim Benzema returns to goalscoring ways
Karim Benzema scored for the first time this month when he rubber-stamped Real Madrid's win at Granada.
The veteran Frenchman made the most of Rui Silva's error to guide the ball into an empty net to score his 22nd of the campaign.
Benzema is now set to be Madrid's leading goalscorer for the third season in a row, beating his 21-goal tallies from the last two campaigns.
Considering his imperious form, Benzema could even earn a surprise call-up from France to appear in the Euros this summer.
#5 La Liga title race set for an intriguing finish
This season's La Liga title race has been one of the closest in recent memory. While Atletico have been at the top of the standings, Real Madrid and Barcelona have managed to stay within touching distance.
With two games to go, Atletico Madrid lead the way with 80 points, followed by Real Madrid (78) and Barcelona (76).
As things stand, Sevilla (74 points) could catch up with league leaders Atletico Madrid, provided Real Madrid do not win any more games and Barcelona don't win both of theirs.
While that is an unlikely scenario, Atletico have the title race in their control, as they have a better head-to-head record against the Andalusians, Despite a few hiccups, the Rojiblancos look good to win their first league title in seven years.
