Madrid [Spain]: Real Madrid secured a commanding 3-1 win against Eibar in the ongoing La Liga at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano here on Sunday to keep pace with leader Barcelona.
Both the clubs were playing their first match after the resumption of La Liga, which returned to action on June 12.
Real Madrid completely dominated Eibar in the first half. Toni Kroos just took four minutes to hand his side a one-goal lead.
Eden Hazard, who had been expected to miss the rest of the season because of a foot injury sustained before the coronavirus pandemic, thrived on his return and set up two of the goals in the game.
The hosts doubled the lead with the help of Sergio Ramos' stunning strike in the 30th minute. Seven minutes later, Marcelo Vieira netted a goal, taking the scoreline to 3-0.
Marcelo take a knee during a goal celebration in apparent support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Brazilian veteran defender put his left knee down and raised his right fist into the air after scoring the third goal for Madrid.
Marcelo's gesture made him one of the few players in the Spanish league to make public their support for the movement which has protested police brutality after George Floyd's death in the United States. Valencia's players last week had also taken a knee before a training session to show their support.
Meanwhile, in the second half, Eibar succeeded in cutting the deficit as Pedro Bigas scored the opening goal for his side. However, Eibar, sitting two points outside the relegation zone, failed to capitalize on the same as they could not score more goals.
Real Madrid hold the second spot on the La Liga points table with 59 points, just two points behind the top-placed club, Barcelona.
Madrid is expected to play all of its remaining home matches at the Alfredo Di Stfano while major renovation work takes place at the 80,000-capacity Santiago Bernabéu, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) away.
The club is likely to remain at the stadium for the rest of the season even if fans are allowed back before then, which the league has said is a possibility.
