Karim Benzema came off the bench to score Real Madrid’s winner in a 2-1 victory over Sporting CP and book their place in the Champions League last 16.
Madrid stuck with their Isco-Cristiano Ronaldo forward line in a 4-4-1-1 formation after their successful implementations in the Derbi at the weekend, while Sergio Ramos made his first Blancos appearance in over a month, the defender having finally recovered from a knee injury.
The game began with Gelson Martins angling a low cross towards Keylor Navas’ far post for Bas Dost to slide home, but the gangly Dutchman came a fraction away.
Nonetheless, Madrid soon broke the deadlock when a great call by the linesman to keep his flag down saw Dost play on Raphael Varane from a free kick, the defender then poking the ball past Rui Patricio.
Ramos’s importance to Madrid, meanwhile, was typified by a crucial deflection to deflect Bruno Cesar’s goal-bound shot wide for a corner.
Cesar then whipped a free kick over the wall, which went a whisker wide of Navas’ left-hand post, with the goalkeeper scrambling desperately.
While the first half may not have been much of a spectacle, the action certainly picked up in the second, although it was not all smiles for Los Blancos, who were forced into replacing Gareth Bale and Marcelo, the pair having sustained knocks.
The match was suddenly thrown into disrepute when former Valencia defender Joao Pereira appeared to whack Mateo Kovacic in the stomach for a straight red card after substitute Marco Asensio had clipped Joel Campbell.
Sporting were left a man down and seemingly a spent force, yet that didn’t stop their ex-rival Fabio Coentrao foolishly keeping his hands in the air from a previous handball appeal as he ended up handballing himself in the box. Adrien Silva subsequently blasted the penalty through the middle for 1-1.
Madrid quickly responded with Lucas Vazquez taking a touch at Patricio’s far post as he teed himself up for the volley, but he skewed it wide.
In the end, Zinedine Zidane’s decision to bring on Karim Benzema for the ineffective Isco proved a masterstroke, the striker going on to power a header past Patricio after he was picked out by Ramos’ inch-perfect square ball.
There was still time for a dramatic Sporting equaliser, however Campbell headed inches wide of Navas’ near post.
Sporting CP 1-2 Real Madrid
Adrien pen 80 (S) Varane 29, Benzema 87 (RM)
Sporting CP: Patricio; Pereira, Coates, Semedo, Marvin; William; Gelson, Adrien, Ruiz (Schelotto 67); Cesar (Campbell 62), Dost (Andre 77)
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo (Coentrao 71); Vazquez, Kovacic, Modric, Bale (Asensio 58); Isco (Benzema 67); Ronaldo
Referee: Collum (SCO)
