BARCELONA: A brilliant back-heeled pass by Karim Benzema helped Real Madrid take a step toward reclaiming the La Liga title on Sunday with a 1-0 win at Espanyol.

With Espanyol about to make it to halftime with a clean sheet, Benzema cleverly unlocked the hosts defence. He used a no-look pass with his heel to poke the ball through the legs of defender Bernardo Espinosa and meet Casemiro’s move into the heart of the box.

Casemiros resulting goal and some flawless defending were all Real needed to win and move ahead of Barcelona by two points at the top of the table.

“I see things, that is what football is to me,” Benzema said about the goal. “The assist is good, but Casemiro puts it in and gave us the three points. [This win] is very important. I won’t say that we don’t pay attention to Barca, of course we do, but we are focused on our matches and each game left is a final for us.”

Zinedine Zidane’s team took advantage of Barca’s 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo on Saturday by securing a fifth straight win since the league resumed following a three-month stoppage as Spain contained its Covid-19 outbreak.

The title rivals have six games left. Real hold the tiebreaker on head-to-head results in the event they finish level on points. The run-in seems tougher for defending champion Barca, who face third-placed Atltico Madrid on Tuesday at Camp Nou.

Last-placed Espanyol appear headed for the second division after falling 10 points from safety.

Earlier, Villarreal continued their surge towards Champions League qualification with a victory over Valencia, inspired by Santi Cazorla.

The 35-year-old found himself under a 60-yard punt from his goalkeeper before cushioning the ball out of the air perfectly for Gerard Moreno to volley in.

Paco Alcacer also scored against his former club as Villarreal moved just three points behind fourth-placed Sevilla.

Eibar’s 2-1 win at Granada moved the Basque Country club further away from the drop zone and the trio of clubs staring at relegation.

Celta are the last team in safety, with an eight-point advantage over the bottom three of Mallorca, Leganes and Espanyol.

Levante also beat Real Betis 4-2. Both teams remained in the middle of the standings.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2020