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Real Madrid have endured an indifferent run of results in March. After winning every game in February, Los Blancos haven’t had the same results in the current month.
Consecutive draws against Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid in the La Liga threatened to derail their title ambitions. However, Zinedine Zidane’s side returned to winning ways on Saturday against Elche.
Real Madrid have trailed Atletico Madrid for much of the campaign, with their recent underwhelming results seeing them overtaken by rivals Barcelona in the league table.
The 2-0 win against Elche, though, could prove crucial to Los Blancos’ title ambitions, despite league leaders Atletico Madrid sitting five points above them.
Karim Benzema strike returns Real Madrid to winning ways.
The season has reached a stage where dropping points could be costly for a title challenger. For Real Madrid, they have Karim Benzema to thank for their latest win in the La Liga.
The Frenchman has been a talismanic figure at the Santiago Bernabeu since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. This season, he’s been influential for Zidane’s side too.
On Saturday, Benzema was once against the star of the show as Real Madrid came from behind to beat Elche. His goal to draw Real Madrid level in the 73rd minute epitomised his aerial awareness and clinical instincts.
He followed it up with a last-gasp winner to secure all three points for Real Madrid and move them to second place in the league table.
Benzema's injury earlier in the season seemed to have affected Real Madrid’s form. But his return is a timely boost, as Madrid look to retain the title they won last season.
Elche win keeps Real Madrid in title race
As it stands, Real Madrid have a slim chance of winning the league. But the Blancos would drop to third if Barcelona beat Huesca on Monday.
Nevertheless, the win against Elche ensures that Real Madrid are still in the title race. A five-point deficit may not be insurmountable, as there are still 11 more league games to be played this season.
"The most important thing is to believe in ourselves and what the game asks of us,” Zidane said after the game, as quoted by Realmadrid.com.
“We changed the system, and the game changed. In the end, getting three points and staying in the fight for La Liga was important. We've used this system two or three times. It's what we went with today. We wanted depth from our wingers. We ended getting the win. I think the way we set up was a good thing. We had two or three chances before we conceded the goal, but we didn't score,” observed Zidane.
Real Madrid’s title chances may be slim. But they cannot be ruled out as long as they stay close to the teams above them.
