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It's been a while since Real Madrid completed such a woeful performance like this one against Granada. Not only Los Blancos never created much danger, they also struggled when they tried to control the tempo of the game and it's fair to say that Granada dominated the first half of the match. They even scored but their goal was disallowed when it shouldn't have been that way. In the end, Madrid rescued all three points thanks to Benzema's opening goal.
Real's poor game was mainly due to Toni Kroos' lack of real efficiency and intensity. The German hasn't started the season in great form and Madrid need him if they want their football style to prevail against quality opposition. Most thought that this game was perfect for Benítez to make some rotations and they were probably right considering how carelessly the starters played. Lucas Vázquez replaced Gareth Bale upfront but Jesé's quality would have been very useful against Granada's pressing.
Luckily enough for Real Madrid, it all improved as soon as the second half started. Benítez's men were still sluggish but Granada were not able to press as much as they did throughout the first 45 minutes. Isco assisted Benzema for Real's first goal from the left flank, where he seems to be comfortable. His cross was magnificent and Benzema just needed to push the ball in to give Madrid the lead.
It was a much easier task for Madrid after that goal. Granada lost their hope and Los Blancos could have scored through Cristiano Ronaldo on several occasions. Keylor Navas still had a couple of chances to prove his worth as he kept another clean sheet to remain unbeaten for Madrid's first 5 games of the season. So far, the Costa Rican has showed he has all it takes to be Madrid's starting goalkeeper, but it will also be interesting to see if he keeps his good form against elite opposition.
All in all, a mediocre performance by Real Madrid that ultimately was enough for them to secure all three points. The fans at the Bernabéu whistled the team after the final whistle to show they were not happy with the match. Madrid have many things to improve if they want to win at San Mamés.