Elche vs. Real Madrid: Score, Grades, Reaction from La Liga

Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo each scored goals as Real Madrid moved four points clear in La Liga following a 2-0 victory at Elche on Sunday evening.

The visitors were the better side from the opening whistle but were frustrated not to score in the first half after carving out several chances. Benzema finally broke the deadlock in the 56th minute following a defensive miscue in Elche's box, and Ronaldo doubled the lead 13 minutes later with a header.

With the win, Real restored their lead atop the table to four points over Barcelona, who lost at home to Malaga on Saturday. The Blancos saw their lead trimmed to a single point following an embarrassing 4-0 drubbing at Atletico Madrid on Feb. 7, but with the four-point gap restored, Carlo Ancelotti's side will gain confidence as the run-in approaches.

Though the cushion will afford Real Madrid a measure of comfort in the title race, Ancelotti's men will not be able to relax. Up next is a potentially tricky home match against sixth-placed Villarreal next Sunday, one day after Barcelona play at third-from-bottom Granada.

Elche remain in 17th place, four points above the relegation places. Fran Escriba's side will play at Celta Vigo next Monday.

Real Madrid dominated from the start, controlling possession and creating a host of chances. In the third minute, Gareth Bale ran onto an Isco pass behind the defence before chipping his shot past Przemyslaw Tyton and into the net. However, the goal was ruled out for offside.

Two minutes later, Benzema won possession in Elche's half and passed to Ronaldo on the left side of the box. Ronaldo cut inside and curled a well-struck shot off the far post.

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

Another chance followed in the 11th minute as Isco swung in a fine cross from the left. Bale met the ball in the goalmouth, forcing Tyton to save from close range. The Elche goalkeeper stopped Ronaldo on the rebound as well, but the flag had already gone up for offside on Bale.

Ronaldo forced another save in the 14th minute with a dipping strike from distance. Three minutes later, he volleyed a long, raking Marcelo pass across the face of goal.

The pressure continued in the 19th minute as Bale picked out Ronaldo at the far post. Ronaldo appeared set to tap in, but with an Elche defender sliding in to block at the last second, he played the ball back into the middle, where it was cleared.

The next chance came in the 25th minute, when Toni Kroos curled in a free-kick from the right. Ronaldo rose highest at the back post but sent a looping header off target.

Real had another goal ruled out in the 39th minute, which was a controversial decision. Bale picked out Benzema with a lofted pass in the box, who volleyed into the net with an acrobatic overhead kick. The goal was disallowed for offside, though, with replays showing it was a tight decision.

Elche made a rare foray forward shortly before half-time, hitting Real Madrid with a quick move down the pitch. The move ended with Mario Pasalic blasting off target from outside the box.

The hosts created the first chance of the second half, as Aaron Niguez tried his luck with a low shot in the 47th minute. Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, making his 500th league appearance with the Blancos, dived to his left to make the save.

Tempers heated up in the 52nd minute, when Niguez caught Bale with a late, high challenge that could have drawn a red card. Instead the referee showed yellow, sparing the Elche man a dismissal.

Alberto Saiz/Associated Press

Real finally broke through in the 56th minute, and after dominating most of the match, Madrid might have been surprised that the opener owed a bit to fortune. The sequence started with Ronaldo crossing low from the left, but David Lomban moved to intercept. Instead of clearing the danger, though, Lomban hit the ball off Tyton, and it trickled into the path of Benzema.

From there, the France international only had to tap in for a 1-0 Real Madrid lead.

Madrid were ahead at long last, but the Blancos were not satisfied. In the 62nd minute, Tyton had to be alert to save a dipping Ronaldo shot. Seven minutes later, the Portuguese superstar wouldn't be denied.

In the 69th minute, Isco danced past his marker on the left before curling a delightful cross into the goalmouth. Unmarked, Ronaldo powered a header into the top corner for Madrid's second.

Ronaldo came close again in the 73rd minute, side-footing a free-kick just wide of the post from 20 yards. Four minutes later, Kroos fired over the bar from the edge of the box as Real kept attacking.

But by that point, Real Madrid were more than comfortable. The second goal had killed off Elche's formidable challenge, and the visitors were able to coast to victory over the final 10 minutes.

Grades

Starting XI	Rating
Substitutes	Rating
Przemyslaw Tyton	6.4
Damian Suarez	6.5
Enzo Roco	6.4
David Lomban	6.4
Edu Albacar	6.2
Victor Rodriguez	6.0
Adrian	6.3
Mario Pasalic	6.3
Aaron Niguez	6.4
Faycal Fajr	6.6
Jonathas de Jesus	5.8
Garry Rodrigues (for Niguez, 64')	6.1
Rafael Galvez (for Pasalic, 75')	6.4
Cristian Herrera (for Adrian, 81')	6.0

Starting XI	Rating
Substitutes	Rating
Iker Casillas	7.1
Dani Carvajal	7.5
Pepe	7.9
Raphael Varane	7.4
Marcelo	7.2
Lucas Silva	7.1
Toni Kroos	7.8
Isco	8.1
Gareth Bale	7.5
Karim Benzema	8.0
Cristiano Ronaldo	8.1
Asier Illarramendi (for Silva, 84')	6.3
Alvaro Arbeloa (for Isco, 89')	6.1
Jese Rodriguez (for Benzema, 90')	6.0

Reaction

"

Casillas: "When we speak about Isco we speak about the best player in years for this country."

— SocialRMadrid (@SocialRMadrid) February 22, 2015"