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Real Madrid picked up a victory against Granada on Tuesday, with second-half goals from Casemiro and Karim Benzema giving the hosts a 2-0 win at the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano.
In what was a dour first half devoid of chances, neither side managed to stamp a foothold on the game to test the opposition keeper, although the major talking point of the half came eight minutes before the break.
Rodrygo picked up the ball and charged on a darting run down the left flank before falling down inside the box clutching his hamstring. The referee waved play on before signaling for the Real Madrid medical team, and it was decided that the Brazil international was not fit to continue.
He was immediately replaced by Marco Asensio, who had a hand in the opening goal, providing the cross from which Casemiro scored in the 57th minute.
This prompted the visitors into action and they managed to fashion some good chances, although the Real Madrid defence stood firm.
There was a moment of uncertainty when VAR had to check a potential penalty for a handball by Casemiro but after a lengthy consultation, it was deemed not to be a penalty.
With Granada pushing men forward for an equaliser, space opened up at the back, and Benzema punished the Andalusians with a well-taken goal in the final minute of additional time.
The victory means Real Madrid are once again level on points with city rivals Atletico Madrid (having played two games more) at the top of La Liga.
Here, we shall have a rundown of five talking points from their victory over Granada.
#5 Real Madrid keep momentum going
A massive turnaround in December has seen Real Madrid breathe life into what was a previously fledgling campaign. This victory against Granada means that Los Blancos have won six games on the trot in all competitions.
Although the hosts hung on for dear life for large parts of the game, they were good value for their victory and put in an experienced shift against Granada.
The victory means that Real Madrid will go into the festive period in buoyant spirits ahead of their trip to Valencia to take on Elche.
#4 Defensive solidity comes to the fore once again for Real Madrid
When Real Madrid won La Liga last season, they did so on the back of a defensive resoluteness post-lockdown.
The capital side were compact and notoriously difficult to break down, with just six goals conceded and six clean sheets kept in 11 games when football resumed.
The start of the current season saw Real Madrid struggle to shut out opponents but Zinedine Zidane has gotten back to basics, and his side are once more defensively solid.
Against Granada, the defending champions brought their defensive A-game to the fore and ensured that their visitors did not fashion too many clear-cut chances.
With Real Madrid not exactly firing on all cylinders in attack, their defence has to be top-notch if they are to achieve their objectives. Based on their recent performances, Sergio Ramos and co. are up to the task.
#3 Impressive Casemiro showing value in the opposition box
For the better part of the last five years, Casemiro has functioned as the midfield lynchpin for Real Madrid, with his defensive awareness and tough tackling giving his more attack-minded teammates the impetus to go forward.
While his importance in shielding the defence still remains as optimum as ever, the Brazil international has started showing his value in the opposition box.
The 28-year-old opened the scoring against Granada which, added to his goals against Alaves and Atletico Madrid, means that he has scored in three consecutive home matches for the first time in his career.
Speaking after the game, the former Porto man revealed that his manager has been asking him to go into the box, and Zidane's instructions are seemingly starting to bear fruit.
#2 Real Madrid continue impressive winning run against Granada
This win means that Real Madrid have won their last 11 La Liga games against Granada, which is their longest winning run against any of the teams currently plying their trade in the Spanish top flight.
In that time, they have scored a massive 33 goals - aided by that 9-1 victory in April 2015. Granada would have to wait until next year for another chance to end their losing run against Real Madrid.
#1 Karim Benzema goes joint-top of the goalscorers' chart
With 90 seconds to go, it looked like Karim Benzema was going to fire blanks against his favourite opponents.
The Frenchman had been industrious throughout the night but had not gotten any clear opportunity until the dying stages of the game.
With several opposition players committed forward in search of an equaliser, there was space left behind for Benzema to exploit when he picked up a pass deep into injury time.
His left-footed finish went past Rui Silva into the Granada goal to continue his fine personal record against the visitors.
The goal means that Benzema has scored 13 goals from 15 games against Granada, which makes them his favourite opponent in La Liga (alongside Athletic Bilbao).
It also moved him to eight league goals for the season, level at the top with Iago Aspas and Gerard Moreno. This could pave the way for a maiden Pichichi award for the former Lyon man.
