Result: Real Madrid 1-0 Real Valladolid
Date: 30 September 2020
Venue: Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano
Defending champions Real Madrid registered back-to-back wins in LaLiga after edging past Real Valladolid on Wednesday night.
Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane re-called Isco and Luka Modric alongside wing-backs Marcelo and Alvaro Odriozola, while Eden Hazard missed out through injury once again.
After a cagey start, Los Blancos fashioned their first chance in the 17th minute after Federico Valverde beat the offside trap to go through on goal but Luka Jovic could not capitalise from the cut-back, after sending his shot over the bar.
Other than Jovic's early chance, Zinedine Zidane's charges were struggling to break down the visitors who were absorbing the pressure and carrying a threat on counter-attacks.
The hosts came close to breaking the deadlock three minutes after the break after Jovic saw his header saved by goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez but only as far as Casemiro, whose follow-up effort crashed against the crossbar.
Madrid eventually got the breakthrough in the 65th minute as Vinicius Junior, who had just come on, was played through on goal by a bad clearance and he made no mistake by placing his strike into the far corner.
Los Blancos had a great chance to seal the three points with the second goal in the last quarter of an hour after Karim Benzema burst away clear on goal but his attempted pass towards the lurking Vinicius Junior inside the box lacked pace and was cleared away.
Jimenez almost threw the game away for Valladolid in the last nine minutes after his pass was intercepted by Modric, who could only rattle the frame of the goal with the net gaping.
Vinicius should have grabbed the second goal for the hosts in stoppage time after bursting away clear on goal but struck a tame shot into the hands of Jimenez as the encounter finished 1-0 in the Spanish capital.
