Real Madrid recorded a 2-0 win over Osasuna in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 clash in the Spanish capital on Thursday evening.

Karim Benzema opened the scoring with a header after 19 minutes, before Jese Rodriguez continued his impressive form with a tidy finish in the second period.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two La Liga rivals.

Match statistics:

Real Madrid:
Shots: 21
On target: 4
Possession: 59%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 13

Osasuna:
Shots: 7
On target: 1
Possession: 41%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 12

Was the result fair?

A 2-0 scoreline is without question a fair reflection of the events at the Bernabeu this evening. Madrid were the better side from start to finish, but aside from a spell in the second period, they never really threatened to put this tie to bed. Osasuna had their moments during an entertaining contest, but the statistic of just one shot on target tells the story. Javi Gracia's side have it all to do in the second leg next week.

Real Madrid's performance

Madrid have had two matches since the winter break in Spain and have failed to produce their best form in either. They were expected to record a comfortable win this evening and while that was the case, they struggled for fluidity in the final third. Xabi Alonso was an incredible miss in midfield, while the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale had quiet games. Another clean sheet will please Carlo Ancelotti, however, with matches coming thick and fast at the turn of the year.

Osasuna's performance

For the opening 18 minutes, Osasuna were extremely impressive. They enjoyed sustained periods of possession, with Oriol Riera causing problems with his movement in the final third. That spell did falter when Benzema headed Madrid into the lead, but they responded impressively in the second half. There is no question that they can be pleased with their performance at the Bernabeu, but too often they lacked quality in the final third. Goals have been a problem this season and that was again the case this evening.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Karim Benzema: The Frenchman was criticised in the early part of the season for a perceived lack of effort, but things are now going smoothly for the 26-year-old. His goal this evening, which was an impressive header, means that he is now just one goal short of 100 for the capital outfit.

Biggest gaffe

Osasuna defender Oier had a horror moment on the hour mark this evening when he decided to play a loose back-pass towards his own goalkeeper. Benzema was first to react and nipped in before setting up Jese as Madrid moved into a 2-0 lead. Mistakes of that nature simply cannot be made at this level of football.

Referee performance

Pedro Perez had a nervy moment in the first period when he appeared to point to the penalty spot when Jese tumbled under a challenge from Osasuna goalkeeper Asier Riesgo, only to book the Real Madrid attacker for diving moments later. There were also a number of questionable decisions in the second period, but the Spaniard did allow the match to flow in the correct areas. Overall, it was a mixed night for Perez.

What next?

Real Madrid: Los Blancos return to La Liga action on Sunday with a trip to out-of-form Espanyol.

Osasuna: Osasuna make the trip to Real Betis on Sunday with both teams struggling at the bottom of the La Liga table.