European Football: Eibar v Real Madrid as it happened

1. Real third in La Liga, six points behind leaders Barcelona
2. Rafael Benitez's side end a two-match losing league run
3. Gareth Bale's header and Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty seal points

Goodbye

It was scrappy. It was hardly convincing. Yet Real Madrid are back to winning ways in La Liga. Is this the start of a long unbeaten run that will drag Rafael Benitez's side back into the title race? Thanks for your company. We will have live text commentary from Serie A on Monday (19:15 GMT). Until then...

Next up

Next up for Real Madrid in La Liga is a Copa del Rey tie away to Cadiz on Wednesday then it's back to La Liga and the Bernabeu to face lowly Getafe next Saturday.

Leaders Barcelona's next La Liga game is at Valencia on Saturday. Atletico  are at Granada the same day.

So, Real Madrid's losing run in La Liga is over. Goals by Gareth Bale and a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty seal a hard-earned victory that leaves them six points behind leaders Barcelona and two behind second-placed Atletico Madrid.

FULL-TIME

Job done but it was hardly convincing.

Three additional minutes.

Reuters

Another Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick fails to clear the wall. He might have a goal but he has been far from his best.

This result will be greeted with relief more than anything else at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid's losing run is coming in La Liga is coming to an end but problems are still evident for Rafael Benitez.

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SUBSTITUTION

Rafael Benitez reacts to his team's second goal by sending on striker Karim Benzema for Dani Carvajal.

GOAL - Eibar 0-2 Real Madrid

AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo's indifferent performance ends in a goal as he sends the keeper the wrong way. The points are going back to Madrid.

PENALTY TO REAL MADRID

Lucas Vazquez is on the floor after a challenge by Dani Garcia. It's a penalty to Madrid.  

SUBSTITUTION

Another Real change coming up. Brazilian midfielder Casemiro is on for Mateo Kovacic, who has been one of Real's better performers.

Just under 15 minutes remaining. Eibar are giving this a right good go but lack cutting edge in front of goal to hurt Real.

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Two huge chances for Cristiano Ronaldo to seal the points. A defensive error lets him in but Ronaldo ends up firing well wide to loud cheers from the home fans. Moments later he leaps higher than anyone else to meet a corner but it flashes inches wide.

Reuters

We all recognise that Cristiano Ronaldo is a brilliant player. But his tantrums and off the ball antics in this game have, at times, been laughable.

The attendance has just been announced...5,892 are packed into Eibar's picturesque ground.

SUBSTITUTION

James Rodriguez's return to the side is short lived as he is replaced by Lucas Vazquez, Real's first change.

AFP

More theatrics from Cristiano Ronaldo who reacts to being nudged in the back by David Junca inside the Eibar box by waving his arms in the air in disgust. Rafael Benitez is not happy either that the referee has not awarded a penalty. 

YELLOW CARD

Pepe booked? Surely not. The Real Madrid defender goes into the notebook for a cynical foul as Eibar continue to have their best spell of the match. 

CLOSE!

Roars from the home crowd as Eibar pile on the pressure. Three successive corners end with Aleksander Pantic heading wastefully wide. 

AFP

Two chances for Cristiano Ronaldo, two missed opportunities. The first is a free-kick which fails to clear the Eibar wall before a spectacular acrobatic attempt from Gareth Bale's cross goes horribly wrong.

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Reuters

Perhaps it is a good job this game is not at the Bernabeu. The Real fans might be waving their handkerchiefs. Rafael Benitez's side have the lead but there is very little fluency and the link-up play is extremely poor.

Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo has done little so far this game and he's lucky to escape a yellow card after wagging a finger at the referee. Ronaldo reacts after going down inside the Eibar penalty area under a challenge. Television replays show there is no contact.

KICK-OFF

Can Real finish the job? We're back under way in the Basque Country.

SERIE A FULL-TIMES

Chievo 2-3 Udinese

Frosinone 3-2 Hellas Verona

Genoa 1-2 Carpi

Roma 0-2 Atalanta

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HALF-TIME

EPA

It has not been pretty. Far from it. But Real have the lead.

Real have come alive since the goal and are finishing the half strongly. One minute additional time.

GOAL - Eibar 0-1 Real Madrid

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Out of nowhere Real take the lead...and it's a header by Gareth Bale that gives his side the advantage. A short corner ends in a cross being whipped into the penalty area by Luka Modric and Bale, just outside the six-yard area, is well place to glance it home.

This is a poor. game. Real are struggling to stamp their authority and Eibar are looking pretty comfortable approaching half-time. Luka Modric tries his luck from the edge of the area but it is well held by the keeper.

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Where next for Cristiano Ronaldo?

YELLOW CARD

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It's getting very tetchy - and not just on the pitch. Eibar boss Jose Luis Mendilibar is spoken to by the referee for protesting too much at a decision. Moments later Real's Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic is booked as the referee's patience finally snaps.

A crunching challenge temporarily leaves Real down to 10 men as Danilo goes off for treatment. Nothing going right so far for the visitors.

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EPA

You can imagine Rafael Benitez's pre-match team-talk. "Let's go out and restore some pride after the Barcelona defeat."

His players haven't followed his instructions. This has been very sluggish so far by Real Madrid. 

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Where next for Cristiano Ronaldo?

A huge roar goes up as Ander Capa wins the ball off Cristiano Ronaldo, who wants a free-kick but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

Reuters

More frustration for Real Madrid as goalkeeper Asier Riesgo comes flying off his line to block an effort by Cristiano Ronaldo. Great stop by Riesgo.

They have only met two times in La Liga but Eibar are still searching for their first goal against Real Madrid...

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Where next for Cristiano Ronaldo - and why?

GREAT SAVE!

First serious attack by Real...and it almost results in the opening goal. Cristiano Ronaldo only has the keeper to beat but Asier Riesgo makes a fine stop inside his area before Mateo Kovacic fires the rebound high over the bar. He should have buried that.

CLOSE!

First serious effort...and it's from Eibar. Sergi Enrich lets fly from distance and forces a save from Keylor Navas. Real have not got going.

AFP

This isn't the start Rafael Benitez demanded from his side. A promising move ends in Gareth Bale being flagged offside before the Wales international makes a complete hash of a cross.

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Where next for Cristiano Ronaldo - and why?

Real Madrid's players are used to playing in the finest stadiums in the world. Eibar's ground is a world away from that. It's more non-league and the visitors are still adapting to their surroundings. It's a pretty scrappy start with neither keeper seriously tested in the opening exchanges.

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Where next for Cristiano Ronaldo - and why?

It might be the smallest ground in La Liga but there is a superb atmosphere inside the Ipurua. The home fans are banging drums and chanting non-stop. The noise levels increase as the hosts force the first corner of the game. Real have yet to settle.

KICK-OFF

It's a sunny afternoon in the Basque Country. But will storm clouds be gathering over Rafael Benitez and his Real Madrid players later? We're under way.

Cosy

Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium could accommodate Eibar's 27,000 population three times and still have 4,000 seats left over. 

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From relegation to top-four challengers

EPA

Eibar have not looked back since suffering 'relegation' at the end of last season.

La Liga's smallest club went down on the final day of the 2014-15 campaign after finishing 18th.  

However, Elche were then relegated because of unpaid debts to the tax authorities and Eibar, who play in a town with a population of just 27,000, took their place in Spain’s top flight.

Since then the club surrounded by the Basque mountains have lost just twice in 12 La Liga games - against Atletico Madrid and Barcelona - and sit seventh in the table.

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Where will Cristiano Ronaldo end up next?

'Obligation to win'

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Rafael Benite's team visit the Ipurua with "the obligation to win to stay in contention" says the front page of Sunday's Marca, the Spanish national daily sports newspaper. It correctly predicts that Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez returns to the team.

Mirror image

A peek inside the home dressing room at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium reveals Eibar's players each have a picture of themselves in the home strip by their peg - presumably to let them know exactly where to sit. 

@sdeibar

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Where will Cristiano Ronaldo end up next and why? Manchester United and Paris St-Germain have been touted as possible destinations for the Portuguese forward but could the 30-year-old yet see out his career at real Madrid?

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'PSG next for Ronaldo'

BBC Radio 5 Live

Times chief football writer Henry Winter: "Cristiano Ronaldo is driven by the Ballon d'Or. Is he going to get the Ballon d'Or in this country? Is he going to compete for the Champions League in this country? At the moment, probably not. He is a fabulous player and I'd imagine his next move is Paris St-Germain."

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Four changes for Real

Rafael Benitez makes four changes to the side that started the 4-3 Champions League away win against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. In come keeper Keylor Navas, defender Danilo, midfielder Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez. Making way are Kiko Casilla, Raphael Varane, Casemiro and Isco.

Real Madrid XI: Navas, Carvajal, Pepe, Nacho, Danilo, Kroos, Modric, Kovacic, Bale, James, Ronaldo.

Eibar include Borja, on loan from Atletico Madrid, who has scored six La Liga goals this season.

Eibar XI: Riesgo, Pantic, Escalante, Capa, García, Inui, Dos Santos, Junca, Enrich, Borja, Adrian.

Troubled times

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These are troubled times for Real Madrid despite progressing to the Champions League knockout stages. Not only are they well adrift of La Liga's summit, they trail their city rivals Atletico, who are second, by five points.

Eibar start the game seventh in the table but will climb to fifth with a win.

Time running out for Rafa?

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He's only been in the job since June yet Rafael Benitez has already been given the dreaded vote of confidence by Real Madrid's hierarchy. 

Two successive La Liga defeats, including an embarrassing reverse against their bitter rivals, nine points off the top of the table and reports prized asset Cristiano Ronaldo could be on his way out.

Rarely in his managerial career has Benitez needed a win more than he does now. The problem is his Real players are up against one of La Liga's biggest surprises of the season.

Live text commentary as Real Madrid travel to the Basque Country to face Eibar looking to avoid a third successive La Liga defeat.