Benzema scores twice as he becomes Real's fifth-highest scorer
Asensio doubles lead minutes after coming on as sub
Visitors hit post early on before Rodrigo has goal disallowed
Lee Kang-In sent off late on to compound Valencia misery
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Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia
Image source, .So Real Madrid cut Barcelona's lead back down to two points.
Hopefully this La Liga title race goes down to the wire.
We are back on Friday for more European and Premier League action.
Until then,
Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia
All over.
Real Madrid's second half show blows Valencia away.
That Karim Benzema goal will be replayed for years to come.
Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia
Final minute, Valencia are toast.
Real Madrid 3-0 Valencia
Straight red for Valencia sub Lee Kang-In.
12 minutes after coming on, Lee goes off.
Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR kicks at Sergio Ramos, nowhere near the ball and the final one is just petulant and he deserves to go.
Karim Benzema
WHAT A GOAL!!
Oh my days, this is an incredible strike from Karim Benzema, so much so that Zinedine Zidane has his head in his hands.
Real counter and Marco Asensio clips the ball into Benzema's path inside the area.
The Frenchman flicks the ball up with his right foot, lets it drop, and in one motion cranks his left foot up to smash a volley into the top corner.
Ridiculous.
Real Madrid 2-0 Valencia
Mark down another stop for Jasper Cillessen, the Dutchman's gloves are getting worn out.
This time he tips Toni Kroos's free-kick from the edge of the area over the crossbar.
Real Madrid 2-0 Valencia
Six minutes left, protecting a two-goal lead and Sergio Ramos is Real Madrid's furthest man forward.
Real Madrid 2-0 Valencia
What an introduction this would have been.
Vinicius Jnr gets on his bike immediately after coming on and is in behind the defence, but his pullback in the direction of Marco Asensio is cleared.
Real Madrid 2-0 Valencia
Spoke too soon.
Eden Hazard off, Vinicius Jnr on.
Real Madrid 2-0 Valencia
Eden Hazard had a slow start for Real since his big money move in the summer but has looked decent today.
Zinedine Zidane has kept him on.
Image source, Getty ImagesReal Madrid 2-0 Valencia
You know how Jos Buttler stands at the crease and doesn't whack the ball but just lets it skim off his bat towards the boundary, that's what Marco Asensio's goal was like.
Delicate touch with his left peg.
Marco Asensio
First touch OF THE SEASON, first goal!
I was just writing an entry to say, this is a lovely sight seeing Marco Asensio back in action.
The young Spaniard suffered a knee injury last summer and has missed almost the entirety of this season but comes on for Federico Valverde.
Seconds after his comeback, he guides a lovely volley from Ferland Mendy's cross into the far corner to double his side's lead and seal the three points.
Image source, Getty ImagesReal Madrid 1-0 Valencia
In fact, it is Real Madrid pushing for the second.
String-puller Luka Modric gets the ball out of his feet and lashes a left-footed drive from 25 yards out which Jasper Cillessen has to push to safety.
The Dutchman's 10th save of the game.
Real Madrid 1-0 Valencia
That goal is a double blow for Valencia...
Real Madrid have kept a league-high 13 clean sheets this season. This is already more than the 12 they recorded in the whole of last season.
Real Madrid 1-0 Valencia
Karim Benzema moves joint-fifth alongside Ferenc Puskas (242 goals) in Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorers in all competitions.
Karim Benzema
Breakthrough!
Valencia get caught at the back for once and are punished.
Luka Modric feeds Eden Hazard, who manages to hold off a Valencia man and the Belgian slips a pass through to the unmarked Karim Benzema inside the box.
You cannot give the potent Frenchman that kind of room, as he side-foots a cool finish into the bottom corner for his 15th of the campaign.
Image source, ReutersReal Madrid 0-0 Valencia
It has been all Real Madrid in the second half but all their efforts are coming from range.
Young Federico Valverde rasps a 25-yarder towards goal but Jasper Cillessen is behind it well.
Real Madrid 0-0 Valencia
Real Madrid patiently working the ball across the Valencia backline but are making few inroads.
Even the laser-like Toni Kroos is unable to find any space to thread a ball through.
Real Madrid 0-0 Valencia
Surely there are goals to come?
Off we go for the second half.
Real Madrid 0-0 Valencia
Remember the knock at the door in the first half?
This is what arrived.
It's like a vegetable flatbread type thing.
Needs some mango chutney to go with it, to be honest.