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Real Madrid thrashed Alaves 3-0 in La Liga to make a statement following their reverse at PSG in the Champions League in midweek.
Marco Asensio scored a peach of a goal to open the scoring for the hosts. The Spaniard curled in beautifully to beat Fernando Pacheco. Real Madrid looked hungry for more as they did not want to settle with just a one-goal lead.
Vinicius Jr scored the second of the night, capping off a beautiful team move to slot in from six yards. Asensio combined beautifully with Karim Benzema before the Frenchman set up Vinicius. Benzema then scored the final goal of the night, smashing one in from the penalty spot to seal the game.
On that note, here's a look at five talking points from the game:
#5 Carlo Ancelotti needs to trust his substitutes
Carlo Ancelotti has been called out quite a few times this season for not rotating his squad enough.
The Italian has found his core XI, and has not looked comfortable tweaking it. Ancelotti's stubbornness in not making substitutions till the 82nd minute of the game suggested that he does not completely trust the players on the bench.
It is difficult to believe players like Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale, Luka Jovic, Eduardo Camavinga, Isco and Rodrygo cannot find decent playing time. Ancelotti needs to use more of his squad players to ensure the first-choice players are fresh at the business end of the season.
#4 Real Madrid have breathing space atop La Liga table
With the Alaves win, Real Madrid have some breathing room after some indifferent recent performances.
Since the beginning of the month, Los Blancos have been subject to intense scrutiny. They coped criticism for their Copa del Rey elimination against Athletic Bilbao. Los Blancos followed that defeat with subpar performances against Granada and Villarreal in the league.
The final straw was the disappointing performance in the Champions League against PSG. However, the Alaves win has put them seven points clear of Sevilla, albeit having played a game more. Real Madrid will need this performance to turn around their Champions League tie against the Parisians in two weeks.
#3 Marco Asensio produces a trademark finish
Marco Asensio scored an absolute stunner to open the scoring for Real Madrid. The Spanish international received the ball from Benzema on his right foot before turning it onto his left to curl past Fernando Pacheco.
His strike came minutes after he made an error while passing the ball to Thibaut Courtois that led to a great chance for Alaves. Asensio and Madrid were lucky that Luis Rioja failed to capitalise on it.
Asensio is becoming Ancelotti's preferred choice on the right wing. He has been scoring worldly goals to bail his side out. Real Madrid fans will hope he continues the same, albeit with a bit more consistency.
#2 Fede Valverde impresses on a rare start
Fede Valverde started against Alaves in place of Toni Kroos. The German was given a break following a run of 27 games.
The Uruguayan international started alongside Casemiro and Luka Modric. Although the 23-year-old looked rusty in the opening phase, he soon grew into the game.
Valverde was instrumental in breaking the lines, disrupting Alaves' play. His sudden burst of acceleration allowed him to wriggle past opposition players with ease.
He created two chances, won four duels, made three recoveries, won one tackle and made one interception in the game. It is time for the youngster to play a bigger role as he has proved himself worthy whenever he has been given a chance.
#1 Karim Benzema shines for Real Madrid
Karim Benzema may not have had the best of nights, but his contribution in the Alaves win was significant.
The Frenchman was involved in all three goals, setting up two and scoring another. Although he struggled with his finishing, Benzema was a menace up front. His link-up play provided Real Madrid quick movement in the final third.
Moreover, his beautiful exchange with Asensio before setting up Vinicius was a thing of beauty. Benzema capped off his night with a goal from the penalty spot.
That was his 27th goal contribution (18 goals, nine assists) in the league this season. Benzema is now joint-level with Robert Lewandowski (26 goals, one assist) for most goal contributions in Europe's top five leagues this campaign.
