Real Madrid skipper Karim Benzema produced a late match winning moment to seal a crucial 1-0 La Liga victory at Rayo Vallecano.
Los Blancos headed across the Spanish capital looking to extend their lead at the top of the table but they struggled to pose a consistent threat in Vallecas.
Marco Asensio was denied early on by a sprawling Luca Zidane before Casemiro’s close range finish was ruled out by VAR for an offside in the build up.
Rayoreacted to their solid defensive showing with a revived attacking threat in the second 45 as Mario Suarez’s required a smart stop from Thibaut Courtois.
However, Real Madrid’s two most reliable players stepped up in the final ten minutes, as Courtois produced a double stop and Benzema scooped home after some clever link up with Vinicius Jr.
Up next for Carlo Ancelotti’s side is a home tie with Real Sociedad next weekend as Rayo head to Real Betis.
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