MADRID: Marco Asensio’s second-half goal guarantees three points for Real Madrid when they won 1-0 at home against Granada, who put almost perfect defensive performance in Laliga on Sunday.
Association found the way past the wall of the Granada defense with a brilliant sloping shot from outside the box.
After Sevilla, who was in second place entered 0-0 at Osasuna on Saturday and Real Betis who were in third place lost 2-0 at home against Villarreal, Real Madrid extended their superiority over six points.
Lost four main beginners, Real Madrid really dominated the match and finished with almost 70% ownership and 10 shots on targets with only three of Granada.
Carlo Ancelotti manager came to the match overlooking the selection headache.
Karim Benzema, Laliga’s top scorer with 17 goals, lost the second game in a row with a leg muscle injury, while Vinicius Jr., the second was only behind his team’s partner on the list of goalscorers with 12 goals, suspended.
Casemiro and Lucas Vazquez were left at the last minute because of the stomach bug.
Even with the players came out, Ancelotti began with Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard on the bench, with both players out of favors with the coach.
Without natural strikers, Ancelotti uses Isco and Marco Asensio as ahead but the team is clearly hampered by the absence of Benzema and Vinicius, who has scored 29 out of 48 league goals this season.
Both Isco and Association had a chance in the first half with similar shots described by Granada Keeper Luis Maximiano, which made some extraordinary rescue.
Real approached opening the score when Carlos Neva tried to clean the cross of Toni Kroos but sent the ball directly to his own crossbar.
Madrid reversed the screw after the break but Granada held firmly until the assensio recovered a loose ball outside the visitor area and raised the extraordinary house strike.
“It was a very difficult match, it demanded a lot from us since the first minute,” Marcelo Real told reporters.
“The key is to be patient with the ball and we managed to find a goal with a fantastic shot from assessio.”