Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run to 26 matches in
all competitions despite missing Cristiano Ronaldo for their 3-0 win over
Elche.
Carlo Ancelotti’s started the match with purpose, but
after spurning a couple of early opportunities, creatively they looked short of
ideas without their Portuguese talisman.
The forward had initially been included in their squad
after a second appeal against the red card he picked up at Athletic Bilbao, but
his attempt to fight the ban was ultimately unsuccessful again.
Just after the half-hour mark, Asier Illarramendi scored
his first La Liga goal for Real Madrid with a deflected strike, but they had to
wait until the final 20 minutes for their second as Elche finally came unstuck
by a Gareth Bale wonder strike.
Substitute Isco completed the scoring with finish from a
tight angle in the final 10 minutes and Real’s 15th-consecutive home win all
competitions keeps them firmly in the hunt at the top of the table.
Jese Rodriguez continued in Ronaldo's absence and
Illarramendi replaced the suspended Luka Modric, while Elche named an
all-Spanish starting line-up.
The hosts unsurprisingly tried to take the initiative
early on and Karim Benzema was quick to force Manu Herrera into an important
stop, tipping the Frenchman's low drive around his right-hand post.
Soon after in the 10th minute, Angel Di Maria went even
closer directly from a corner as Herrera misjudged the flight of his delivery,
but luckily for Elche the crossbar came to their rescue.
Real struggled to break their visitors down and although
Jese fired just wide from the edge of the area, it was by no means a clear-cut
opportunity.
After that fairly stagnant spell, Real eventually took
the lead 34 minutes in. Benzema won a corner despite appearing to be offside
and, from the resulting set-piece, Illarramendi's half-volley from 20 yards
deflected off Manu del Moral on its way to goal.
Real found it even harder to break down their visitors in
the second half. Ancelotti’s men dominated possession, but goal-scoring chances
were startlingly rare at both ends of the pitch.
Bale summed up his under-par hour in the 61st minute as
he charged down the right in an encouraging Real Madrid move, cut into the area
and then blasted the ball high into the stands as their supporters groaned.
He did show his true quality 11 minutes later, however.
After being gifted space by the Elche midfield 30 yards from goal, the Wales
star hammered a ferocious effort in off the crossbar.
Isco added a third for good measure in the 81st minute as
he controlled Benzema’s pass in the area and squeezed a well-placed shot past
Herrera from an acute angle.
Culled from Soccerway
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