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Marco Asensio's 74th minute strike helped Real Madrid secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Granada in La Liga on Sunday (February 6) night.
The home side suffered a harrowing elimination from the Copa del Rey quarterfinal in mid-week. Alex Berrenguer's late strike helped Athletic Bilbao progress into the semifinals with a 1-0 victory at the San Mames Stadium.
Carlo Ancelotti made four changes to the side that lost to the Basque outfit. Marcelo, Dani Carvajal and Isco were among those handed starts against Granada.
The first half saw Real Madrid dominate possession but the visitors had better chances and more than held their own against their more illustrious hosts.
Ancelotti then made one change at the break, with Federico Valverde coming on for Eduardo Camavinga. The second half saw Real Madrid up the ante in search of the opening goal and they went close through Asensio, who forced Luis Maximiano into a fine save.
The 26-year-old broke the deadlock with 16 minutes to go when Granada failed to clear their lines properly after some patient build-up play by Real Madrid. The ball fell to Asensio, who had plenty of space in front of him. The former Espanyol man did not need a second invitation and he rifled the ball into the net from 20 yards with a left-footed belter.
Asensio has faced criticism for his poor performances of late and this, coupled with the stunning nature of the goal, saw him take off his shirt in celebration. A customary yellow card was issued to the Spain international but it was of little consequence after what proved to be the winning goal.
With Sevilla and Real Betis faltering earlier in the Matchday, the win took Real Madrid six points clear at the summit and one step closer to reclaiming the title.
Here is a rundown of how the Real Madrid players fared in the game.
Real Madrid player ratings against Granada
Thibaut Courtois - 7.0
The Belgium international had an eventful first half and had to make some smart saves to deny Real Betis. Courtois was largely untested after the break and kept his side's first clean-sheet in four matches across competitions.
Marcelo - 6.5/10
The Real Madrid skipper was surprisingly subdued with his attacking output but put in a fine defensive shift, making three tackles. Marcelo was replaced by Nacho in the 83rd minute.
David Alaba - 6.5/10
David Alaba created one chance, and his distribution from the back saw him end the game with a pass accuracy of 95%. He looked assured on the ball and wasn't threatened much by the Granada attack.
Eder Militao - 7.5/10
The Brazil international contributed to the attack with two shots and provided the assist for Real Madrid's winning goal. Militao also weighed in with some key defensive contributions to help his side keep a much-needed clean sheet.
Dani Carvajal - 6/10
Dani Carvajal was far from his best on the right flank of the home side's defense but he still created one chance for his teammates and made one key interception.
Toni Kroos - 7.5/10
Toni Kroos had an eventful day in midfield and hit the target with one of his three shots on the night. His pristine distribution was also responsible for his side dominating proceedings in the second half. The German laid out a key pass and completed 94.4% of his attempts to find a teammate against Granada.
Eduardo Camavinga - 6/10
Eduardo Camavinga put in a decent first-half display, recording two key passes and a tackle, but was hauled off by Carlo Ancelotti at the break.
Luka Modric - 7/10
The 36-year-old continues to defy his age and put in another masterclass in the middle of the park. Modric was replaced by Dani Ceballos with three minutes to go, having registered a joint-team-high three tackles.
Rodrygo - 6.5/10
The Brazil international was full of industry on the left flank and kept the Granada defense on their toes in the 65 minutes he spent on the field. Rodrygo also managed two shots on target on the night.
Isco - 6.5/10
Isco operated as a false nine and his technique on the ball saw him create some goalscoring chances for his side. The Spaniard recorded a team-high three key passes.
Marco Asensio - 8.5/10
The 26-year-old issued the perfect response to criticism leveled at him in mid-week. Asensio was the busiest Real Madrid forward on the night and hit the target with six of his eight shots, in addition to scoring the winning goal and providing two key passes. He also made two tackles to round out a solid performance.
Substitutes
Federico Valverde - 6.5/10
Fede Valverde came on at the break and helped increase Real Madrid's grip on the game. He made an impact at both ends of the field.
Luka Jovic - 6/10
Luka Jovic came on for Isco in the 65th minute but failed to hit the target with any of the four shots he managed.
Eden Hazard - 6/10
Eden Hazard was given just 25 minutes off the bench but he still managed to create two chances. The Belgian was also shown a yellow card just three minutes after coming on.
Nacho - 5.5/10
The centre-back came on with seven minutes to go and had just six touches of the ball.
Dani Ceballos - 5.5/10
The former Arsenal man created one chance in the three minutes he spent on the field and helped his side see out the win.
