MADRID, April 21: Not even an off-day for Karim Benzema was enough to keep Real Madrid from moving closer to clinching the Spanish league title.
Benzema missed two penalty kicks seven minutes apart in the second half but Madrid went on to earn a 3-1 win at Osasuna Wednesday to open a 17-point lead over second-place Atletico Madrid, which can no longer catch its rival as both teams have five games left to play. Barcelona is 18 points back but has seven games left to play, meaning it still has a theoretical chance to catch Madrid.
Benzema went scoreless for only the second time in the last 11 games in all competitions. Both of his penalty kicks were saved by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera in the 52nd and 59th minutes. He targeted both of his shots to the same side, with Herrera diving to his right to make the saves. Benzema is the league’s leading scorer with 25 goals.
Madrid defender David Alaba opened the scoring in the 12th minute after an assist by Benzema, and forward Marco Asensio added to the lead in the 45th after the hosts had equalized through Ante Budimir in the 13th. Lucas Vázquez sealed the victory in stoppage time.
Osasuna, sitting in ninth place and coming off two straight victories, had a goal disallowed for offside in the 32nd.
Atlético stall
Atlético Madrid’s struggles in attack continued in a 0-0 draw at home against relegation-threatened Granada.
It was the fourth time in the last five matches that Atlético failed to score. It had been winless in three games in a row before a last-minute 2-1 win against Espanyol on Sunday.
The result left Diego Simeone’s team in second place, one point ahead of both Barcelona and Sevilla. The Catalan club visits sixth-place Real Sociedad on Thursday, while Sevilla plays at Levante.
Atlético opened a four-point cushion over fifth-place Real Betis, the first team outside the Champions League qualification places.
Granada had lost two in a row and conceded 12 goals in its last four matches, but Atlético managed only one shot on target from 22 total attempts at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. (AP)
