Joselu and Diaz get Real Madrid back on track in Las Palmas win
Needing to recover swiftly from a chastening 3-1 defeat in El Derbi at the weekend, Real predictably began on the front foot against their newly-promoted visitors.
Having never previously won at the Bernabeu, Las Palmas were arguably the perfect opponent for a Blancos response, with a clear plan of attack unfolding as several raking passes were pinged over Los Amarillos’ defence towards Joselu.
The hosts continued to probe as the half wore on, seeing multiple efforts from Rodrygo, Joselu, and Nacho saved by a seemingly unbeatable Álvaro Valles before the breakthrough finally came on the stroke of half time.
A Federico Valverde switch of play found Lucas Vazquez, who cut back to Brahim Diaz for his first goal of the season.
Filling the boots of current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema is an unenviable task that Joselu appeared to struggle with during the first period, however, the Spanish international made amends for his series of wasted chances shortly after the restart.
Rodrygo teased his way into the box before picking out Joselu with a lofted cross, allowing the forward to guide a header beyond the helpless Valles - exactly what Carlo Ancelotti needed after a largely frustrating first half.
The introduction of previously injured Vinícius Júnior from the bench hardly inspired belief for Las Palmas, who now needed to double their LaLiga account for the season if they were to claim anything from the contest.
In truth, there was very little to suggest anything other than a Real victory, with the away side’s gameplan seemingly out the window after falling behind.
A rather tepid end to proceedings saw Los Blancos canter to victory, bringing an end to a run of five home games against Las Palmas in which they have scored three goals or more ahead of a top-of-the-table clash with surprise leaders Girona.
Having claimed a first league win since returning to the top-flight last time out, this was a reality check for a Las Palmas side who failed to register a shot in the first 70 minutes.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
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Elsewhere in LaLiga's earlier fixtures, Girona moved top of the league, albeit briefly, with a 2-1 win over Villarreal thanks to goals from Artem Dovbyk and Eric Garcia.
Meanwhile in the Basque Country, 10-man Athletic Club were twice pegged back by Getafe in a 2-2 draw that was interestingly the fifth draw from the last seven games hosted by Los Leones.
Check out all the goings-on from an eventful night at San Mames with Flashscore.
