Real Madrid welcomed Eibar to the Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon knowing that a win would see them return to the top of La Liga ahead of Atletico Madrid.
It was Eibar that made the breakthrough in the sixth minute through Fran Rico, but Real Madrid levelled the scores 11 minutes later when Gareth Bale headed a Cristiano Ronaldo header into the back of the net.
Los Blancos had chances to win it in the second period, but Eibar held on for a point as Real Madrid drew their fourth successive match in all competitions.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
Afternoon all! Sports Mole's live La Liga coverage continues from the Bernabeu as second-place Real Madrid welcome eighth-place Eibar. Los Blancos will fancy their chances of returning to winning ways this afternoon, but an impressive start to the season has left Eibar in eighth position on 10 points, just four fewer than Real Madrid. Let's hope for an entertaining match from the Spanish capital!
These two teams have met on four occasions in Spain's top flight and Real Madrid have won all four matches without conceding a single goal. Indeed, Real Madrid are the only opponent in the top flight yet to concede against Eibar. Last season, Los Blancos recorded a 4-0 victory in this stadium, before winning 2-0 away from home against the Basque outfit. It is a tough ask for the visitors here.
Right, without further ado, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news. Eibar have had a free week to prepare for this fixture, but Real Madrid had a very tough game against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League during the week. Let's take a look at the two XIs here...
TEAMS!
REAL: Navas; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Danilo; Kroos, Isco, James; Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale
EIBAR: Riesgo; Capa, Lejune, Mauro, Luna; Rico, Escalante, Garcia; Leon, Enrich, Pena
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has made two changes to the team that started against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, with Pepe and Isco replacing Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric. Ramos has been rested, but Modric is facing a period on the sidelines after being forced to undergo a knee operation. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema all start in the final third of the field.
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As for Eibar, head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar has made three changes to the team that started their 2-0 win over Real Sociedad last time out. Mauro dos Santos has replaced Alejandro Galvez at the back, while Fran Rico and Ruben Pena take the places of Kike and Bebe, who have both dropped to the bench. Sergi Enrich will continue as the centre-forward in what it a 4-3-3 formation.
So there we have it. The two teams are in and we are now just about 40 minutes from kickoff on this warm afternoon in the Spanish capital. I shall talk about the away side a little bit later, but let's start with Real Madrid, who are currently second in La Liga, but will enter this match off the back of three straight draws in all competitions – two of which were in the league against Villarreal and Las Palmas.
Real Madrid opened their La Liga campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory at Real Sociedad, before beating Celta Vigo and Osasuna in their next two to move onto nine points. A 2-0 success at Espanyol maintained their 100% record, but they were denied a 17th straight league win on September 21 when an impressive Villarreal side claimed a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu.
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Zidane's side would have been confident of bouncing back away to Las Palmas last weekend, but they conceded late on in Gran Canaria as the points were shared in a 2-2 draw. Los Blancos entered Week Seven top of the table, but they have since dropped to second after Atletico Madrid beat Valencia earlier this afternoon. Fourth-place Barcelona, meanwhile, will travel to Celta Vigo tonight.
Madrid will enter this match off the back of a 2-2 draw at Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Los Blancos twice led in Germany, but again conceded late on, this time to an Andre Schurrle strike as the two rivals shared the points in a 2-2 draw. It is now three games without a win for the Madrid giants, which will be a little concerning to Zidane. That said, they are massive favourites here.
In terms of what is ahead for Real Madrid, they will travel to Real Betis in their first game after the international break on October 15, before hosting Athletic Bilbao one week later. The month then ends with a trip to local rivals Alaves, before hosting Leganes on November 6. Two of their next three after that match are away to Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. Still a little time to wait for those two!
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There is no getting away from the fact that Real Madrid have not won La Liga since 2012, but they have lifted the Champions League title in two of the last three seasons. It is difficult to be too critical of a club that has enjoyed such success in Europe, but the Spanish title is the one that the supporters really want. It has been painful watching Barcelona and Atletico Madrid lift the trophy in recent seasons.
As for Eibar, 10 points from their opening six matches represents their best ever start to a La Liga season. They were promoted from the Segunda B to the Segunda Division at the end of the 2012-13 season and successive promotions took them into the top flight for the 2014-15 campaign, when they finished down in 18th, but stayed in the division due to Elche's financial problems.
It was more comfortable for the Basque outfit last season as they finished in 14th position and the early signs are that they have more than enough to compete at this level of football once again. Indeed, a total of 10 points has left them in eighth position in the table – just five points off the summit. They are the underdogs this afternoon, but football has a funny way of surprising us!
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Eibar, who have never scored a La Liga goal against Real Madrid, actually opened their new season with a 2-1 defeat at Deportivo La Coruna, but then recorded back-to-back wins over Valencia and Granada to get their season well and truly underway. Then came a 1-1 draw with Sevilla on September 17, but they suffered their second defeat of the campaign away at Malaga on September 20.
The Basque outfit will enter this match off the back of a win, however, having recorded a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad last weekend. It is a tough ask this afternoon, but they have a massive game against newly-promoted Osasuna after the international break and it is fixtures of that ilk that will determine how well Eibar perform in the top flight this season. Kickoff is just 10 minutes away now!
Mendilibar y el equipo técnico tienen un plan. A por todas en el Santiago Bernabéu! 💪🔴🔵 #RealMadridEibar pic.twitter.com/m4UiKw5lWj — SD Eibar (@SDEibar) October 2, 2016
TEAMS!
REAL: Navas; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Danilo; Kroos, Isco, Kovacic; Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale
EIBAR: Riesgo; Capa, Lejune, Mauro, Luna; Rico, Escalante, Garcia; Leon, Enrich, Pena
KICKOFF! Eibar kick things off in the Spanish capital...
... it should be a pretty comfortable afternoon for Real Madrid, but you just never know. In the Premier League, Manchester United absolutely ran over Stoke City earlier this afternoon, but were held to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. Nothing in football is certain and Eibar are in really good form.
Super work from Bale as the Welshman drives down the right before delivering a low cross towards the far post, but Ronaldo falls under pressure and Eibar survive what was a really dangerous moment.
CLOSE! Side-netting for Bale this time as the Welshman cuts inside a couple of defenders before attempting to pick out the top corner. Bale has started this game very well indeed.
GOAL! Real Madrid 0-1 Eibar (Rico)
Oh my word! Eibar make the breakthrough in the sixth minute of this match as Fran Rico heads a brilliant Capa cross past Navas. The Real Madrid goalkeeper allowed it through is body! Great header, but that will have to go down as a mistake from the Costa Rican. What a moment for Eibar!
Well, ten minutes on the clock and Eibar, yes Eibar, lead at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid are passing and probing in the final third, but the visitors have managed to restrict the Madrid giants to very little. You just get the feeling that the next goal in this game - if there indeed is one - could be vital.
Confirmation of Eibar's first ever La Liga goal against Real Madrid...
1 - Fran Rico is the first player to score a goal for Eibar against Real Madrid in La Liga. Pioneer. — OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 2, 2016
Just a reminder that Barcelona will travel to Celta Vigo tonight and I shall also be covering that game live on Sports Mole. The champions will be loving this game at the moment, that is for sure.
Decent pressure from Real Madrid in the last couple of minutes as they force two corners in quick succession, but Eibar remain strong to clear their lines. The visitors are dropping very deep at the moment, however, which is a concern at this stage of the match. Real Madrid are starting to find their range.
When you log onto our live commentary of this game 16 minutes into proceedings...
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Not too much to report in terms of Real Madrid chances since the Eibar goal or indeed in the opening 17 minutes of this match. Bale hit the side-netting for the hosts in the early stages, but that has been just about it so far. As it stands, Eibar are actually moving to within two points of the summit.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-1 Eibar (Bale)
Well, that shut me up. Real Madrid level the scores in the 17th minute of this match as Ronaldo delivers a brilliant cross towards the back post and Bale is on hand to head home from close range.
SAVE! Eibar bite back and Leon has a brilliant chance to find the back of the net from close range, but the former Real Madrid midfielder cannot find a route past Navas!
Pass, pass, pass from Real Madrid as they look to open up this Eibar defence, which has been pretty solid this afternoon. The home supporters were showing their displeasure at 0-1 down, but the atmosphere is much calmer since Bale levelled the scores. Very interesting game developing here.
Danilo, who is again at left-back for Real Madrid this afternoon, looks to drive past Leon in a wide position, but the number 21 is back and manages to win a free kick for his side. Still 1-1 in Madrid.
Anyone that expected Eibar to turn up and roll over this afternoon will have been sadly disappointed in the opening 26 minutes of this match. Yes, Real Madrid are dominating the ball as they search for a second goal, but the visitors are also showing their threat down the other end. It is an open game here.
These two combined to level the scores for Real Madrid this afternoon...
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Still no yellow cards in this match, but the referee has been busy in the last couple of minutes due to a number of late challenges. The home side continue to pop the ball around in the final third, but Eibar are pretty comfortable with little over 15 minutes of the first period to play at the Bernabeu.
BOOKING! Escalante (Eibar) is booked for a trip on Kroos.
CHANCE! Wonderful chance for Real Madrid to score a second as Danilo drives a low cross into Benzema, but the striker cannot turn towards goal. Should have done better from there!
SAVE! Super save from Riesgo to keep out Ronaldo's low drive.
Decent period of possession for the away side in the last couple of minutes as they kill the game with a strong spell of passing. Eibar have come with a clear game-plan and it is working here.
Danilo concedes possession on the edge of his own box and it almost allows Leon the chance to break through on goal, but Danilo is back to make the challenge. Very sloppy defending there.
Real Madrid will always fancy their chances of scoring goals, not just this afternoon, but consistently throughout the season. However, their defence has been very shaky in this match. There just seems to be no organisation back there when Eibar commit players on the counter-attack.
Eibar continue to shift the ball into wide positions and the likes of Leon and Capa do not have to be asked twice to deliver, but Varane and Pepe take it in turns to clear the danger. There is no real flow to Real Madrid at the moment despite Bale and Ronaldo seeing plenty of the ball in the final third.
Gareth Bale with Real Madrid in #LaLiga...
Games: 87
Goals: 50 pic.twitter.com/V6EYVJo18F — LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) October 2, 2016
Ronaldo finds another cross into Bale as the home side look for a repeat of Real Madrid's first goal, but the Welshman can only head over the crossbar. Eibar deserve to be level at this stage.
Ronaldo's header is well wide of the post as Bale returns a cross towards the Portuguese. It must be said that Benzema has been very, very quiet in this match. Alvaro Morata is on the bench here.
BOOKINGS! Bale (Real Madrid) is booked for dissent. Meanwhile, Carvajal (Real Madrid) is booked for a rash challenge on Pena. Frustration for the home side late in the first period.
HALF-TIME: Real Madrid 1-1 Eibar
So there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with the two teams level at 1-1. Eibar made the breakthrough in the sixth minute through Fran Rico, before Bale headed Real Madrid level 11 minutes later. As it stands, Los Blancos are staring at a third successive La Liga draw.
STATISTICS! Real Madrid have dominated the possession with 63%, while they have had seven attempts - two of which were on target. Eibar, meanwhile, hit the target with both of their attempts in the opening 45 minutes. Three bookings to report - Escalante (29 min), Carvajal and Bale (both 44 min).
BENCH WATCH! Real Madrid are without the services of Luka Modric this afternoon, but Zidane does have plenty of attacking options on his bench in the shape of Asensio, Lucas and Alvaro Morata. Eibar, meanwhile, have the likes of Bebe, Adrian, Inui and Kike in reserve at the Bernabeu.
RESTART! Real Madrid resume the action on home soil...
REAL MADRID SUBS! Nacho and Morata replace Benzema and Varane for Real Madrid.
Ronaldo drives into the Eibar box and looks to shift the ball onto his right foot, but Dos Santos matches the Portuguese stride-for-stride and manages to clear behind for a dead-ball.
BOOKING! Garcia (Eibar) is booked for a late challenge on Kovacic.
CHANCE! Leon has time and space inside the Real Madrid box, but the Spaniard fires straight at the home side's goalkeeper. Should have done much better from that position.
The word from the Real Madrid bench is that the two half-time changes were 'tactical' rather than due to any injuries that might have occurred. Benzema was really poor in the opening 45, while Varane did not look comfortable alongside Pepe. End-to-end football at the start of the second period.
Eibar continue to impress early in the second period as Leon delivers a dangerous corner towards the near post, but Morata does well to put off Enrich, who leaped above everyone and looked favourite to make contact. The home supporters are not very pleased with their team at the moment!
CHANCE! Eibar survive a couple of very dangerous moments as a cross from Bale causes all sorts of problems inside the away side's box. Ronaldo misses his first kick, before his second strike is blocked behind for a corner. Finally some pressure from the Madrid giants here.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Morata has the ball in the back of the net for the home side, but the flag is raised. Indeed, it was the correct call from the linesman!
BOOKING! Morata (Real Madrid) is booked for diving inside the box!
BOOKING! Lejeune (Eibar) is booked for fouling Ronaldo just outside the box...
... Ronaldo's free kick hits the wall.
Half-chance for Enrich, but the Eibar striker's header is too high.
POST! Stunning header from Bale from the edge of the Eibar box, but his effort hits the post and it falls for an Eibar shirt, who hammers clear. Serious power from the Welshman there!
The chances are now coming for Real Madrid as Ronaldo breaks clear, but Riesgo is on hand to claim after the Portuguese took a heavy touch. Still around 30 minutes of football remaining here.
You just get the feeling that there is at least one more goal in this match, especially with both teams more than prepared to commit numbers forward. Eibar fancy their chances of a second here!
Riesgo loses the flight of a cross and there is more panic inside the away side's box, but Morata cannot spin and shoot, and Eibar manage to clear their lines once again. This second period continues to develop and the score remains 1-1. It has been a really tough game for the home side.
Ronaldo finds a yard of space outside the box before having a go, but his effort was always too high of the crossbar. Just a reminder that Zidane still has one permitted substitution in this match.
CHANCE! Ronaldo heads an Isco cross over as Real Madrid threaten again!
BOOKING! Pena (Eibar) is booked for dissent.
REAL MADRID SUB! Asensio for Isco is Real Madrid's final change.
BOOKING! Kroos (Real Madrid) is booked for a high boot.
Little under 15 minutes of football remaining at the Bernabeu and we are still locked at 1-1. This was supposed to be a straightforward win for Real Madrid, but it has been anything but this afternoon!
EIBAR SUB! Kike replaces Enrich in Eibar's first change of the match.
You still get the feeling that there is another goal in this match and you have to think that it will come for Real Madrid, despite their struggles in the final third. As it stands, Atletico would remain top of the table ahead of their rivals. Barcelona, as mentioned, travel to Celta Vigo later tonight.
Super defending from Luna as the Eibar full-back prevents Bale from reaching a low cross from Morata, who had done brilliantly to work a yard of space and deliver. The pressure continues.
Whistles from the home supporters as we enter the final 10 minutes with the score still 1-1. As it stands, Real Madrid are heading for a fourth successive draw in all competitions, which is incredible.
Eibar continue to impress as Capa delivers another dangerous cross from a wide position, which forces a corner and Dani Garcia heads over after beating Carvajal to the ball. Eibar have been brilliant.
BOOKING! Rico (Eibar) is booked for a late challenge on Kovacic.
Asensio heads a Carvajal cross over the crossbar as another half-chance is wasted.
SAVE! Riesgo has to keep out a header from his own defender Dos Santos!
EIBAR SUB! Bebe replaces Pena for the away side.
Still time for Real Madrid, but the clock is ticking on towards that full-time whistle here.
We are into the first of three additional minutes at the Bernabeu.
EIBAR SUB! Adrian replaces Leon for the away side.
Eibar continue to clear their lines and time is almost up as Riesgo comes to collect.
FULL-TIME: Real Madrid 1-1 Eibar
So there we have it. The referee brings the second period at the Bernabeu to a close with the two teams sharing the points in a 1-1 draw. What a result for Eibar! Real Madrid have now drawn their last three games in the league, but they are now level on points with Atletico Madrid at the summit. Be sure to join me from 6.45pm tonight for live coverage of Celta Vigo against Barcelona. Until then!
