La Liga: Modric scores late as Real Madrid register crucial victory
Karim Benzema and Luka Modric scored as Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid maintained their pursuit of the title with a laboured 2-1 win at Granada on Sunday.
Third place Real remained four points behind Barca and one short of Atletico Madrid after a superb late strike by Luka Modric gave them victory at Granada.
Karim Benzema gave Real the lead on the half hour at Granada when Dani Carvajal found him unmarked in the middle of the penalty area to score his 19th league goal, one less than Suarez and level with team mate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Granada scored a deserved equaliser on the hour through substitute Youssef El-Arabi who shot through keeper Keylor Navas’s legs from the right.
Real needed a moment of inspiration to overcome a tough Granada side and Modric delivered it with a fine strike from the edge of the box into the far top corner for his first league goal of the season five minutes from time.