Real Madrid returned to winning ways in La Liga with a 2-0 win over close rivals Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
The match was due to take place on Sunday evening, but light failure inside Rayo's ground put the match back 24 hours.
Madrid took the lead early on when Karim Benzema tapped home following an Angel di Maria cross. Meanwhile, a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty secured the win in the latter stages.
With that in mind, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two sides.
Match statistics:
Rayo Vallecano:
Shots 9
On target 3
Possession 51%
Corners 4
Fouls 13
Real Madrid:
Shots 13
On target 6
Possession 49%
Corners 6
Fouls 13
Was the result fair?
On the balance of play, you would have to say yes. Rayo certainly improved after falling behind to an early goal, but they never really threatened to level the scoring. They had plenty of possession - dominating it for large periods – but you just felt that Madrid could always raise their game.
Rayo Vallecano's performance
6/10. Rayo will again be praised for their attitude and work ethic, but the facts are it's another match without three points. They appeared to be in for a long evening after conceding in the early stages, but they dominated large spells of the match. They aren't the most technical side you will ever see, but they have such strong heart and desire.
Real Madrid's performance
6/10. Solid, yet unspectacular from Jose Mourinho's side. They started the match with such a tempo that it appeared they would go onto win comfortably after taking an early lead, however, it never materialised. Part of that must be accredited to the performance of Rayo, but Madrid just never really made the most of their attacking areas.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Pepe: He doesn't win too many friends with his playacting, but my word is he a good defender. He won every header this evening, in addition to demonstrating his wonderful ability on the ground. He's a top draw defender at this level.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Andrija Delibasic seemed to have serious trouble staying on his feet this evening, especially in the opening period. He dived all over the place.
Referee performance
David Fernández Borbalán had a fairly productive 90 minutes of football. He handed out a host of yellow cards in the early stages in order to set the tone, but he perhaps should have dismissed Alvaro Arbeloa for a foul on Lass in the first half.
What next?
Rayo Vallecano: Vallecano will attempt to return to winning ways when they travel to Valladolid on Sunday.
Real Madrid: Madrid will look to continue their march up the table when they face Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.
Matt Law
