MADRID: Karim Benzema netted two goals on penalties as Real Madrid stormed bottom-placed Elche at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday to restore the eight-point gap to leaders Barcelona.  

Marco Asensio and Luka Modric also scored goals in each half during Real’s comfortable 4-0 win, which cut short arch-rival Barcelona’s eleven-point lead over them.

Real, who won the Club World Cup in Morocco on Sunday for a record fifth time, are second on the La Liga table with 48 points after 21 games.

Madrid fully dominated the visitors throughout the game with Asensio breaking the deadlock in just eight minutes when he went past Elche’s defence and fired a low shot into the bottom left corner.

Ballon D’Or winner Benzema double the lead after the half-hour mark from the spot, after his header was handled by Enzo Roco in the area.

The French forward made it 3-0 before half-time through another penalty, awarded to Real for a foul on forward Rodrygo.

Benzema’s brace took him to 11 league goals in the season, three short of leader Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona.

Modric rounded off the rout for Real, 10 minutes before time, hitting into the top left corner from the edge of the box.

Defending champions Real will face Osasuna on Sunday in their next La Liga fixture.

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