Benzema scores hat-trick in 6-0 Real Madrid win over Valladolid

Madrid, Apr 2 (EFE).- Defending La Liga champions Real Madrid – now in second place on the table – are now 12 points behind table-toppers Barcelona on Sunday after smashing Valladolid 6-0.

Villarreal, in sixth place, blanked No. 4 Real Sociedad 2-0, while Atletico Madrid scored the lone goal of its match against fifth-place Betis.

Real Madrid drubbed the lowly Valladolid (in 16th place and hovering just above relegation) on Sunday, with Rodrygo Goes getting the team on the board in the 22nd minute on an assist by Marco Asensio, followed within the next 15 minutes by a rapid-fire hat-trick by Karim Benzema, assisted on two of them by Vinicius Junior. The fifth – and rather spectacular – tally was netted by Asensio after the break and then Lucas Vazquez making it 6-0 a bit later.

The first of Benzema’s tallies was his 14th goal this season in La Liga play, and with the other two goals he now sits in the No. 2 goal-scoring spot, with only Barca’s Robert Lewandowski out in front with 17.

After a hectic and high-scoring first half, Carlo Ancelotti’s men slowed down the pace after the break. Benzema was removed from the fray, with Eden Hazard taking the pitch for the first time since September to replace him.

Rodgygo aided Asensio on a close-range power shot into the net, while Hazard made it an easy matter for Vazquez to hit the final goal of the match in extra time.

Meanwhile, Atletico de Madrid in third place and doing fine over the past few months, got a late tally from Angel Correa to notch a W over Betis at Metropolitano.

With no score in the first half, shortly after the intermission, Jose Gimenez tried a header but hit the crossbar while Koke was ruled offside, canceling his tally.

Juanmi almost sank one for Betis but no cigar, as the team was downed in La Liga play for the first time in its last seven outings.

There were just four minutes of playing time left when Correa struck gold on a good shot for the team’s fourth straight win amid an 11-game unbeaten streak.

Atletico had been on top – playwise – throughout the match but Betis kept up a solid defense with goaltender Rui Silva making six saves until Correa’s strike broke the deadlock.

The 1-0 win put Diego Simeone’s men at 54 points, just five points in back of Real Madrid, and six points in front of Real Sociedad. Betis, meanwhile, is fifth with 45 points.

Villarreal finally got on the board late in its match against No. 4 Real Sociedad after a penalty against Samu Chukwueze in the area, whereupon Dani Parejo sent the penalty kick into the net in the 77th minute. After that, it was substitute Nicholas Jackson for the second tally, although he was booted later in play on two yellow cards.

It was No. 6 Villarreal’s fourth win in five outings, getting them to within four points of Real Sociedad.

And Celta Vigo could not get the advantage over 18th-ranked Almeria and had to settle for a 2-2 result.

EFE

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