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#3 Casemiro steps up yet again with a crucial goal
Over the last few years, Casemiro has made a name for himself with Real Madrid as one of the best holding midfielders in the world.
However, this season, the Brazil international has become a lethal presence in front of goal, with his strike against Alaves being his 4th in his last eight games.
He had also opened the scoring against El Glorioso in the first leg. However, while the effort was ultimately futile in a 2-1 defeat at the Bernabeu, it was not a case of lightning striking twice as Real Madrid held on for the victory this time around.
While his more attack-minded teammates might get most of the headlines, Casemiro has gone about his job in his usual efficient manner. He has also started coming to the fore in attack, which bodes well for the fortunes of the club.
#2 Yet another defeat leaves Alaves hanging in the balance
Deportivo Alaves came into this fixture in 16th spot on the table, just one point ahead of 17th-placed Elche.
However, the Valencian side have three games in hand, and Alaves would have sought a victory against Real Madrid to boost their survival hopes.
They had posted a shock 2-1 victory over the defending champions in the first leg last November. The visitors' poor recent run of form would have also given them hope that they could get another three points.
However, Real Madrid put up a comprehensive and professional display to condemn Alaves to their fourth consecutive defeat.
This loss leaves the club hanging dangerously close to the precipice. Unless new coach Abelardo Fernandez can turn things around, they run a risk of suffering relegation to the lower division.
#1 Karim Benzema steps up to the plate yet again for Real Madrid
When Cristiano Ronaldo departed Real Madrid for Juventus in the summer of 2018, there were many who opined that Karim Benzema could not be trusted to lead the line.
The former France international had ended the 2017-2018 season with just five goals in the league, and this is hardly the return expected from the leading striker of an elite club.
However, his output has seen a dramatic increase since then, and he finished each of the last two seasons as Real Madrid's top scorer in all competitions.
His goals were especially handy last term, as they helped Los Blancos end their three-year wait for La Liga glory.
Benzema has continued from where he left off this season, and his brace against Alaves took him to 10 La Liga goals for the campaign and 15 in all competitions.
Acting as skipper in place of the injured Sergio Ramos, the 33-year-old gave an inspirational performance on the field and showed great instincts and technique for both of his goals.
The first saw him control Hazard's backheel excellently before rifling an angled shot past Fernando Pacheco. The second saw him embark on a trademark run down the left flank and curl the ball into the bottom corner.
The goals put him just two behind Youssef En-Nesyri in the race for a maiden Pichichi award. In this form, Real Madrid would fancy their chances of dethroning Atletico Madrid at the summit.
