22 Sunday, March 5, 2017 SPORTS Benzema puts Madrid back on top

Leganes 1 Granada 0 Real Madrid’s French forward Karim Eibar 1 Real Madrid 4 Benzema (top) dives over Napoli’s goal- Villarreal 2 Espanyol 0 keeper from Spain Pepe Reina Barcelona v Celta Vigo (1945) Sunday Sporting Gijon v Deportivo la Coruna (1100) Atletico Madrid v Valencia (1515) Madrid Despite the absence of Ronaldo and Bale through arim Benzema scored twice injury and suspension respectively, Madrid boss Las Palmas v Osasuna (1730) as Real Madrid made light of Zinedine Zidane rested a host of other first-team v Malaga (1945) KCristiano Ronaldo and Gareth regulars ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League last Monday Bale’s absence to 16, return leg away to Napoli. Madrid travel to Italy Alaves v Sevilla (1945) move back to the carrying a 3-1 lead, but Zidane took no risks as Marcelo, Scores as of closing top of La Liga Dani Carvajal and Toni Kroos were left on the bench. on the stretch by Rodriguez for his fifth goal of the with a 4-1 win at The opener arrived on 14 minutes when Asensio was season. Only Yoel prevented Eibar, who had come Eibar yesterday. played in down the left by Rodriguez and his low cross into the game in fine form in seventh in the table, from Benzema proved found Benzema unmarked at the far post. further punishment before half-time as he made a fine decisive when he was needed most Benzema’s first effort was well saved by Yoel, but the double save from Benzema and Asensio. by the European champions without his usual Madrid number nine followed up to register just his Benzema should have had his first hat-trick of the strike partners as the Frenchman finished twice second league goal since October. The visitors nearly season three minutes into the second-half but pulled his from close range inside the first 25 minutes. had a second moments later when Rodriguez’s low shot well wide from Nacho’s cushioned header. James Rodriguez completed a perfect first-half for cross was just flicked out of Benzema’s reach by the Asensio had unselfishly squared to Rodriguez in the the visitors from Benzema’s low cross. Eibar goalkeeper. However, Madrid did soon double move for the fourth goal, but after the Colombian’s Marco Asensio grabbed Madrid’s fourth before their advantage when Rodriguez’s wicked in-swinging effort came off the post, Asensio expertly dispatched the Ruben Pena pulled back a consolation for Eibar. free-kick left Benzema with the simplest of tasks to rebound from a narrow angle. Madrid lead Barcelona by two points, but the knock the ball home from point-blank range. Eibar did finally have something to cheer 18 minutes Catalans can go back to La Liga’s summit with Four minutes later the roles were reversed as this from time when Pena beat Danilo to Pedro Leon’s cross victory at home to Celta Vigo later on Saturday. time Benzema’s low cross was swept into the far corner to the far post to fire in a consolation. (AFP) Napoli conquer Roma Milan Mertens completed his brace, taking his league Belgian’s earlier foul on Fazio. akeshift Napoli striker tally for the season to 18 goals, five minutes into Roma showed promise immediately after the hit a brace in a thrilling 2-1 win away to the second half with another cool finish following restart but ’s drive came off the RomaM that has put Juventus firmly on track for ’s inswinger towards the back post. leg of Kalidou Koulibaly. a record sixth consecutive title. When Kevin Strootman reduced arrears on 89 Minutes later, Mertens doubled Napoli’s lead Napoli’s forward Belgium Mertens was given the minutes it sparked a dramatic late fightback from in style. Roma lost possession as they tried to from Belgium Dries nod ahead of striker Arkadiusz Milik despite the Roma that saw Pepe Reina acrobatically palm a break and after a swift exchange of passes Insigne Mertens scores Poland star’s recent return from a five-month drive off the crossbar before clearing with his leg. delivered a great curling ball for Mertens at the injury lay-off. But Napoli, who saw Sarri sent to the stands for back post where he was left unmarked by Fazio. And coach ’s intuition proved dissent midway through the second period, held on Roma fought back again, but a superb Reina was right ahead of an entertaining encounter that for a valuable win. at full stretch to tip Diego Perotti’s curling right- saw Napoli soak up long spells of pressure to Roma were in control for most of the opening footer out for a corner. see Mertens expose gaping holes in the Roma period but Federico Fazio and Kostal Manolas Spalletti replaced Fazio with Bruno Peres, defence. suffered the first of several lapses on 26 minutes with Mohamed Salah coming on for Stephan El Serie A Napoli took a 1-0 lead into half-time at the when Marek Hamsik squeezed a great ball between Shaarawy. Salah’s impact was immediate but the AS Roma 1 Napoli 2 Stadio Olimpico after Mertens struck against them for Mertens to run in and chip the onrushing Egyptian reaped little reward for his efforts, seeing Sampdoria 3 Pescara 1 the run of play to flick the ball over Szczesny. Mertens almost doubled Napoli’s lead a late strike come off Reina’s post before the ‘keeper AC Milan v Chievo Verona (1945) onrushing Wojciech Szczesny on 26 six minutes before the break when he flicked over kept out Perotti’s late strike that came off the minutes. Szczesny but it was chalked off after after the crossbar. (AFP)