With Karim Benzema recovering from a hamstring injury, Gareth Bale resting due to a hamstring complaint of his own and Cristiano Ronaldo increasing his La Liga tally to 23 shots without a goal, Real Madrid relied on Isco’s best performance of the season to defeat Espanyol 2-0 on Sunday and stay within seven points of early pacesetters Barcelona.
Normally, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best at what he does. If you need proof, just consider this: CR7 has won four Ballon d’Or accolades, he's been La Liga top scorer three times and he's been the Champions League top scorer six times!
Borussia Dortmund may be just about perfect in the Bundesliga, but the Champions League has been a different story. Real Madrid may be struggling in La Liga, but it’s business as usual in the Champions League. Real Madrid walloped Dortmund 3-1 on Wednesday at Signal Iduna Park, leaving the German side in danger of missing out on the knockout rounds.
Ronaldo always turns up in crucial moments. CR7 gave Real Madrid a 2-0 lead in the 49th minute off of a perfect feed from Gareth Bale, who already netted a gorgeous volley in the first half.
Cristiano wasn't done. 30 minutes later he ran behind a perfect pass from Luka Modric and fired one near post.
The Portuguese striker has now scored 25 goals in 20 games against German clubs in the Champions League.
In the mood to see a tasty one touch volley from Gareth Bale?
Oh my, Gareth Bale. https://t.co/35Gc4MtDgV
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 26, 2017
First things first: clickbait! But not really. In soccer, had Cristiano Ronaldo converted, this wouldn’t have been an assist for Isco. But if we’re talking hockey, yes. The confines of a rink are intensely intimate, so the preceding pass is usually as important as the ultimate one. In soccer, we know that’s less frequently the case.
Real Madrid and Karim Benzema have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with the striker now set to stay until 2021, past the Frenchman’s 33rd birthday.
Gareth Bale lo ha vuelto a hacer. Quizás mejor conocido por su impresionante carrera contra el Barcelona en la final de la Copa del Rey 2014 (en la que Usain Bolt dijo: "Es un gol que a cualquier velocista del mundo le gustaría marcar algún día. Es el futbolista más rápido del mundo en este momento.”), Bale ha vuelto a marcar un gol más para el Real Madrid.
Mientras que su velocidad máxima en el esfuerzo final de la Copa del Rey fue de 34,6 kilómetros por hora, Bale alcanzó las 35.19 km/h mientras se aferraba a un pase de Isco el domingo contra la Real Sociedad.