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 has done it again. Perhaps best known for his stunning sprint against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final (one that had Usain Bolt saying: “It’s a goal any sprinter in the world would like to score one day. He’s the fastest footballer in the world at the moment.”), Bale has scored another scorching effort for Real Madrid.