Real Madrid down Espanyol 4-2

Real Madrid needed just 15 minutes to build up an insurmountable lead over Espanyol in their 4-2 win at the latter's RCDE Stadium here.

Benzema scored his pair of tallies during a rollicking first half and the win moved a short-handed Real Madrid -- after Raphael Varane was expelled in the 72nd minute -- into third place with 39 points in the La Liga rankings, still a good ways in back of Barcelona on top with 46 points and Atletico Madrid with 44, reports Efe news.

Just four minutes into play, Benzema was on hand to get the visitors on the board to end a three-match scoring drought.

Luka Modric rocketed down the field past the Espanyol defenders and fired a shot on goal, forcing Diego Lopez into action to deflect it, and Benzema was in the right spot at the right time to knock in the rebound.

Then, Ramos -- who was injured later in the game and left the pitch -- knocked in his 50th goal for Los Blancos in the 15th minute by heading a perfect crossing shot into the right-hand corner of the net.

Espanyol got back into the game 10 minutes later on a powerful goal by Leo Baptistao but just at the end of the first half -- in stoppage time -- it was Benzema plucking up a loose ball for his second tally of the evening, a beautiful shot into the bottom corner, to make it 3-1.

Benzema has now been directly involved in seven goals in his last nine outings with Barcelona against Espanyol.

After the break, it took Bale only three minutes -- after being sent in for Vinicius in the 64th minute -- to notch the capital squad's fourth goal. Although Roberto Rosales secured another one for the home squad in the 81st minute, getting the impressively manufactured goal after a VAR review, it wasn't nearly enough oomph to stave off Espanyol's defeat.

Varane's foul against Piatti, which got him ejected, means that he will sit out Real Madrid's next match.

The contest was played before 21,215 fans, with the win giving Santiago Solari's squad three victories in a row, although their battle with Sevilla for third place is intensifying.

Espanyol, on the other hand, is hovering close to the relegation zone, having lost nine of their last 10 games.

--IANS

gau/mr