Real Madrid 3-0 Deportivo Alaves: Asensio stars as Real go seven clear

Marco Asensio's second-half stunner helped send Real Madrid seven points clear at the top of LaLiga with a 3-0 win over Deportivo Alaves.

Madrid, having been shut out by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in midweek, struggled to break down Alaves for long periods at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, it was Asensio who found a remarkable way through, breaking the deadlock in spectacular fashion in the 63rd minute with a curling effort into the top-left corner.

A late second from Vinicius Junior ensured earlier missed chances did not haunt Los Blancos, before Karim Benzema's stoppage-time penalty added gloss to a win that means the pressure is on Sevilla to trim the gap at the top back to four points when they visit Espanyol on Sunday.

Such was Madrid's lack of threat in the first half that a lofted effort from Federico Valverde that landed on top of the net following a throughball from Ferland Mendy represented their best chance of the opening period.

They improved after the interval, Fernando Pacheco forced to make a fine save to deny Vinicius after he was played in by Valverde, with Benzema's goal-bound follow-up cleared by a defender on the line.

Asensio, though, ensured there was nothing Alaves could do to prevent him from opening the scoring in style with a career-best seventh LaLiga goal this season.

Benzema trickled an effort against the post as Madrid sought to put the game to bed, but he atoned for that miss as his wonderful build-up play with Asensio allowed the France star to tee up Vinicius for a simple finish to make the points safe.

Reward for another instrumental showing from Benzema came when he calmly converted from 12 yards after Florian Lejeune had fouled Rodrygo in the area.

What does it mean? Home comforts for Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti's men were comfortably second best against PSG in midweek but managed to limit the damage to a 1-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes.

In Spain, however, they are clearly the class of the field, with Madrid's ability to find another gear and win comfortably here yet further illustration of their position as the dominant force this season.

Asensio finds his range

Asensio's goal was his fifth from outside the penalty area this season. Only Atalanta's Ruslan Malinovskyi has scored more (6) from such distance in all competitions across Europe's top five leagues.

Madrid's second was more intricate, the move consisting of a 14-pass sequence that marked the third-longest leading to a goal in LaLiga in 2022. Asensio played the penultimate pass to cap a superb outing.

Calmer evening for Carvajal

Having been run ragged by Kylian Mbappe in the French capital, Dani Carvajal was able to enjoy an easier outing this time around, though he would likely want to have made more of an impact going forward, with none of his five crosses rated by Opta as 'good crosses'.

Key Opta facts

- Real Madrid have scored in 16 of their last 17 games against Alaves in LaLiga (51 goals in total, an average of three per match), netting at least three goals in each of their last three encounters.
- Madrid have hit the woodwork seven times in their last six LaLiga games, as many as in their 28 previous matches in the competition.
- Benzema has been directly involved in a goal in eight of his 10 LaLiga meetings with Alaves (nine goals and six assists).
- Benzema here provided two assists in a single LaLiga game for the third time this season, having played the final pass before Asensio and Vinicius scored. The French striker has also now scored 14 of his 15 penalties taken in LaLiga.
- Asensio has scored in three of his last four LaLiga home games for Real Madrid (3 goals).
- Vinicius ended a six-game goal drought, his longest in all competitions since one of 12 matches in April and May 2021.
- Alaves coach Jose Luis Mendilibar has lost 12 of his 13 away games against Real Madrid in LaLiga, drawing only with Eibar in October 2016 at the Santiago Bernabeu (1-1).

What's next?

Ancelotti's side make the short trip to Rayo Vallecano next Saturday, when Alaves are back to face another of Madrid's neighbours, Getafe.