Real Madrid weathered a Real Valladolid penalty miss, two opposing goals ruled out by VAR, and an eventual opener for the hosts, before finally rising up to a 4-1 win at Estadio Jose Zorrilla. While Karim Benzema scored twice in the second half in the comeback win.
Madrid full-back Alvaro Odriozola fouled Sergi Guardiola just 12 minutes in, but Ruben Alcaraz delivered a horrid penalty miss miles over the bar. Moments later the hosts had the ball in the back of the net but VAR ruled Keko offside on his delivery for Guardiola’s goal. Next up, Guardiola was offside as he headed the ball into the net before the 20-minute mark, but he’s flagged for offside and VAR confirms the decision.
Finally, they went in front as Moroccan midfielder Anuar finishes off a combined delivery from Keko and Guardiola. That was the blow to wake Real Madrid up, and they would go on to a storming victory. Raphael Varane started the party in the 34th minute to equalize thanks to a horrible punch from Jordi Masip, and Benzema got his first from the penalty spot soon after halftime. He put Madrid 3-1 up on a header from a Toni Kroos corner, and despite Casemiro’s marching orders 10 minutes from time, Luka Modric finished the scoring as the game wound down on a feed from who else but Benzema.
10-man Valencia looked to have coughed up a late lead after Facundo Roncaglia was sent off, but 19-year-old Ferran Torres rescued all three points in the 90th minute with a vicious counter. Girona had equalized twice in front of the home fans, for the second time in the 83rd minute, but the young Valencia product rounded Girona goalkeeper Bono on a breakaway and scored into the open net to secure the win, moving his club into seventh in the table.
Jonas Ramalho was the first to bring Girona back level in the 22nd minute, canceling out Goncalo Guedes’s early goal. After Dani Parejo put Valencia back in front soon after the halftime break, Roncaglia earned two yellows in a 10-minute span as the visitors lost a man. Cristhian Stuani was on hand to take advantage from the spot with seven minutes to go, but Torres pulled Valencia into sixth in the La Liga table.
Real Betis kept pace with Valencia with a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo, finally finding a winner in the 80th minute as Jese Rodriguez pinged home a rebound after a shot from Cristian Tello was saved by Ruben Blanco. The visitors at Estadio Municipal de Baladios dominated the match with 14 shots to Celta Vigo’s seven, holding the hosts to just a single shot on target. Betis sits in seventh, level with Valencia on points but back on goal differential.
A four-goal second half saw Sevilla run away with a 5-2 win over Real Sociedad at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. Wissam Ben-Yedder scored a second-half hat-trick to lead the way, with the third coming from over 30 yards out as goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli challenged way out of net on a breakaway but was beaten. Sevilla moved to sixth with the win, jumping both Valencia and Betis.