Real Madrid 4-2 Almeria: 5 talking points as Karim Benzema hat-tricks leads holders to routine win

Real Madrid beat Almeria 4-2 in La Liga on Sunday as Karim Benzema netted a stunning first-half hat-trick.

The Frenchman tore the Rojiblancos to shreds in the opening stanza, breaking the deadlock in the fifth minute before doubling their advantage 12 minutes later. He brought up his treble from the spot in the 42nd minute, sending Almeria goalkeeper Fernando Martinez the wrong way.

However, Lazaro pulled one back for the visitors soon after to reduce the deficit as Los Blancos switched off in defence. Just seconds into the restart, though, Rodrygo added a fourth for the hosts with a spectacular effort, but Lucas Robertone made it 4-2 just after the hour mark.

Real Madrid appeared to win a second penalty late on after Benzema was fouled inside the box by Fernando. However, it was rescinded after a VAR review as the No. 9 had pushed Rodrigo Ely in the build-up.

Nonetheless, a comfortable win ensued for Carlo Ancelotti's men, who remain in second place in La Liga, with 68 points from 32 games. They trail leaders Barcelona by eight points, having played a game more.

On that note, here are the five talking points from the game:

#5 Sky's the limit for Rodrygo

A goal and an assist for Rodrygo, and both were top-drawer.

Even as Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior continue to take all the plaudits, Rodrygo has quietly had a fine campaign for Real Madrid. His confidence was once again on display, as he starred with a fabulous goal and assist.

The Brazilian set up Benzema for his second goal following some excellent work on the byline. Rodrygo evaded his marker with a cheeky backheel before running past him to square the ball for Benzema to fire home.

In the second half, Rodrygo built on the momentum by scoring a lovely goal. On receiving a pass from Dani Ceballos, he turned away from Sergio Akieme, took a touch and rifled an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

#4 Almeria expose Real Madrid's defensive frailties

The Rojiblancos scored twice at the Bernabeu.

Almeria were the underdogs but didn't go down without a fight, netting twice to give Real Madrid some nervous moments. Their first came through Lazaro, who ran in behind Madrid's backline completely unmarked to tap home.

There were three white shirts ahead of him at the time - Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger and Toni Kroos - yet, none were aware of Lazaro's position. Such poor marking cost them big time against Girona last time out, and it came back to haunt them once more.

Almeria were also beneficiaries of another poor defensive play from their mighty hosts, as Kross' risky back-pass for Rudiger saw the centre-back get dispossessed. The ball then reached to Portillo, who sent in a cross for Robertone to head in from point-blank range.

#3 VAR denies Real Madrid a second penalty

Real Madrid almost won a second penalty in the second half, but it was cancelled out following a VAR review as Benzema appeared to have fouled Rodrigo Ely.

The Frenchman was brought down inside the box by Almeria goalkeeper Fernando Martinez, who attempted to make a desperate clearance before Benzema could get to the ball.

The referee instantly pointed to the spot, but replays showed Benzema pushing Ely just outside the box in the build-up, albeit the contact was minimal.

#2 Almeria could survive the drop

Despite the loss, Almeria can take pride from an encouraging performance. They took their chances and scored twice against the reigning champions in their own backyard.

With 33 points in the bag, the Rojiblancos are sitting perilously close to relegation in 16th place. Nevertheless, there's hope of survival if they can keep up this form and pick up points in the remainder of the campaign.

In their last six games of the season, two are against teams in the bottom two in the standings - Espanyol and Elche. Meanwhile, Mallorca and Real Valladolid - whom Almeria also play next month - have been erratic, too.

#1 Karim Benzema reignites Pichichi race

Having missed a handful of games this season with injuries, Karim Benzema hasn't been able to feature consistently for Real Madrid in La Liga. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped him from scoring left, right and centre.

Against Almeria, the Frenchman scored a wonderful hat-trick in the opening stanza to bring up his tally to 17 for the season, just one behind Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona. He might as well have drawn level with the Pole had it not been for the upright in the closing stages of the game.

Nonetheless, the race for La Liga's Golden Boot, the Pichichi, is back on.