Real Madrid got back to winning ways in LaLiga after a 2-0 win over Cadiz on Saturday evening.
LaLiga
Result: Cadiz 2-0 Real Madrid
Date: 15 April 2023
Venue: Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla
With a trip to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League on the horizon, Madrid rested a couple of players, as Toni Kroos and Vinicius Junior were not in the squad but the line-up was formidable, with Karim Benzema flanked by Rodrygo and Marco Asensio upfront
Cadiz withstood the pressure from Los Blancos well and Afonso Espino nearly gave them the lead on a transition with 12 minutes on the clock after his shot crashed against the post.
The game opened up after that, with end to end attacks but Carlo Ancelotti's charges had the most chances, with goalkeeper David Gil keeping the score level.
Madrid, however, took the game by the scruff of the neck after the half-hour mark and they should have been ahead ten minutes before the interval after Gil saved Asensio's shot on the path of Benzema but the Frenchman fired his shot into the crossbar from close-range.
With Cadiz pinned in their own half, Dani Ceballos almost caught them off guard on the stroke of halftime with a volley on the far side that was pushed away by Gil, as the sides remained deadlocked going to the break.
Ancelotti's men continued to ask questions of Cadiz from the interval but they were not decisive in the final third and allowed the home side to clear their lines.
Madrid kept on knocking and Benzema came close again on 64 minutes after he cut on his left foot and unleashed a strike that clattered the post.
The Italian tactician eventually made a tactical change three minutes later as Eduardo Camavinga came on for Lucas Vazquez.
The move seemed to have paid off, as Nacho finally broke the deadlock with 18 minutes remaining after a well executed shot on a run from a cross by Aurelien Tchouameni.
Madrid did not waste time to put the game to bed as Asensio doubled their lead four minutes later with a curling shot in the box after a through ball by Federico Valverde.
Madrid could afford to rest some legs after that as Eden Hazard took over from Rodrygo and Luka Modric replaced Valverde.
Cadiz could not get out of their own half and Asensio almost made it 3-0 in the dying minutes from a rebound but was denied by Gil with a strike in the box following a corner.
Madrid moved ten points behind league leaders Barcelona, who take on Getafe on Sunday afternoon.
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