Real Madrid vs. Granada: Score and Reaction from 2015 La Liga Match

Real Madrid beat Granada 1-0 in their La Liga match Saturday, as their strong start to the new campaign continues. 

A goal from Karim Benzema in the second half was enough for Los Blancos as they claimed victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, in a subdued affair. 

There was a first start for Real's Lucas Vazquez, with Raphael Varane shaking off a knock to retain his place next to Pepe in defence.

It was the visitors who thought they'd taken a shock lead midway through the first half, as Youssef El-Arabi slid in to claim a goal. However, the surprise moment was called offside by the officials, breaking Granada hearts. 

JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo almost went a goal closer to Raul's all-time Madrid goalscoring record of 323, hitting the post after excellent work from Isco late in the first half. The Spaniard also went close himself just moments later but missed a gilt-edged opportunity to take the lead.

WhoScored.com provided its player ratings for the first half during the break, including further important stats:

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Real Madrid 0-0 Granada HT: Shots(OT) 10(6) - 4(2), Possession 68% - 32%, Rating 6.65 - 6.71 http://t.co/9uU7lKloag

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) September 19, 2015"

Madrid continued to push for goal early in the second half and were rewarded for their effort, as Frenchman Benzema scored. 

Isco was once again involved in his side's best play moving forward, and the striker met the Spaniard's back-post cross with a clean header.

Bleacher Report UK shared the moment on social media:

Granada were certainly contributing to the contest, but each time they attacked the Madrid defence, goalkeeper Keylor Navas was equal to everything thrown at him, consistently keeping the ball out of the net.

Journalist Rafael Hernandez commented on Navas' form, proving Real are not missing out on the signing of David de Gea:

Madrid appeared to be content with their advantage as the second half drew to its conclusion, with the hosts slowing the game and retaining possession against their plucky opponents. 

Denis Cheryshev replaced Benzema, whom the crowd applauded for his goal, as Ronaldo continued to look for his precious strike. The packed house cheered as referee Juan Martinez Munuera blew his whistle for the final time, temporarily taking Los Blancos to the top of the table.

Marcelo was rewarded for his performance with the Man of the Match, according to WhoScored:

It was a controlled performance by the Madrid superclub Saturday, with Ronaldo clearly keen to take Raul's record. The Mirror's Ed Malyon commented on CR7's failure to add to his incredible tally:

"

Having scored eight goals in his previous two games, Cristiano Ronaldo was coming into this game in blistering form and there seemed no doubt that he would get the one goal necessary to take his career tally to a bewildering 500 goals. Indeed, such is his hot streak that the hat-trick required to surpass Raúl as Real Madrid's greatest-ever goalscorer didn't seem that unlikely either. But Granada hadn't read the script and did well to keep Real Madrid at bay.

"

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Granada were worthy opponents and kept Navas busy, but they lacked the quality to break the deadlock on the few occasions they had chances.

Benzema was the difference in the end, but it was the contribution of Isco that delighted the home fans, as he dazzled and danced in midfield. 

Luka Modric was also a candidate for the game's best player, with the Croatian giving Real the balance they missed during his absence through injury last term.

Post-Match Reaction

Real coach Rafael Benitez congratulated the visitors for their performance after the match and spoke about his tactics in the 1-0 win, per Real Madrid Info:

Mercurial winger Gareth Bale also had his say, clearly pleased with Los Blancos' three points:

Granada now play Real Sociedad in La Liga on Tuesday, with the Galacticos facing a difficult trip to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday evening.