Elche vs. Real Madrid: Winners and Losers from La Liga Game
Real Madrid reopened a four-point lead at the top of La Liga with a professional 2-0 victory over Elche on Sunday evening.
Second-half goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo secured manager Carlo Ancelotti's 78th victory in his 100th game in charge of Los Blancos, as Real Madrid finally pierced Elche's resilient defence after a belligerent first-half display.
Iker Casillas, making his 500th league appearance for the club, barely had anything to do, as Isco and Gareth Bale also caught the eye.
Click on for some winners and losers from the game.
Winners: Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo
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Goalscorers are always going to be the individual winners of every game, and Benzema and Ronaldo made the difference for Real as the club secured three big points.
Benzema, unlucky to have a brilliant bicycle kick chalked off for offside in the first half, could hardly miss the opener—gifted to him as it was after the Elche defender's clearance rebounded off the goalkeeper and to the striker's feet just a couple of yards out. The strike nevertheless meant the Frenchman has now scored against every current Liga side (bar Real, of course). He also became just the third player in the league this season to either score or assist 30 goals (behind Ronaldo and Messi, of course).
Ronaldo then secured the win with a towering header soon after, grabbing his first league goal since the middle of January. It was clearly a moment of relief for the Portuguese, who up until that point had endured a frustrating, slightly disjointed performance similar to the midweek display against Schalke (where he also scored from a header).
Having both players among the goals is always a good sign for Real.
Winners: Isco and Lucas Silva
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It was a measure of Isco's scintillating individual performance that the home fans gave him a standing ovation when he finally left the fray in the closing minutes.
The ex-Malaga man dazzled time and time again with his control, poise and vision. While his roots naturally will have engendered some respect from the Elche fanbase, their reaction to his substitution was a fitting tribute to the artistry of his display.
In the absence of other key players, he has established himself as a key part of Ancelotti's first XI going forward, with James Rodriguez perhaps now needing to redouble his efforts to get back into the first team when everyone is fit.
"He is the most important player for the future of Spanish football," Isco's goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, said afterward to Canal Plus (via AS). "He has to focus on his game because flattery can weaken players."
Another player to enhance his reputation at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero was Lucas Silva, who marked his full league debut with a calm, composed performance that augurs well for the future. The Brazilian did nothing particularly eye-catching, but he avoided any mistakes, giving Ancelotti the confidence to keep using him regularly over the second half of the season—as the games pile up and the rotation becomes increasingly important.
Losers: Aaron Niguez and Damian Suarez
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Elche put forth a commendable display, frustrating Real for large parts of the contest. In the end, however, Real picked apart them with a certain amount of ease, as Elche's inability to keep the ball up the other end of the field for any sustained period of time caught up with them.
There were no real culprits for the defeat; 2-0 losses can happen when a team is put together on a budget against one with almost unlimited resources. But some players acquitted themselves better than others, with full-back Damian Suarez often catching the eye for the wrong reasons.
Isco and Cristiano Ronaldo beat him time and time again. The frustration clearly caught up with him as the game wore on, and some of his challenges became more and more robust.
None of them were as bad as one from Aaron Niguez, however, who was perhaps lucky not to see red after pole-axing Gareth Bale with an awful challenge.
On an admittedly difficult evening for Elche, neither player covered himself in glory.
Winners: Carlo Ancelotti and Iker Casillas
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Both Real Madrid men set records on Sunday evening, as Carlo Ancelotti celebrated his 100th game in charge with his 78th win (a new record for a Real manager) and Iker Casillas marked his 500th Liga appearance with his 378th win (overtaking Raul for most league victories participated in).
Neither had a particularly busy afternoon, with Casillas making one reasonable save from an Aaron Niguez shot. Ancelotti trusted his chosen XI to get the job done, only employing his substitutions once the three points were in hand.
Now four points clear of Barcelona (with their next meeting exactly a month away), this was both an historic and profitable weekend for the two men.
"I’m grateful, being at Madrid it is feasible that you can achieve that kind of record," Casillas said to Canal Plus (via AS). "At another club it would have been harder. I hope I can get more..."
