Piti gets a chance to try and work Diego Lopez with a free kick from a central position but he is unable to beat the wall. Brahimi picks it up on the left and stands the ball up at the back post for Riki, but the keeper comes and punches it away.
90' +1
We are into the first minute of an additional three.
Carvajal has a chance to send Ronaldo through one-on-one but he kicks the pass straight into Diakhate. Granada counter and it takes a clearance from Pepe inside his own six-yard box to stop Riki from slotting home at the back post.
90'
SO CLOSE!! Ronaldo nearly gets his goal as he cuts inside and beats Diakhate and Iturra. He attempts to pull his shot inside the near post but he drills it into the side netting.
89'
Dani Carvajal enters the game and replaces Á. Di María.
Safe hands from Diego Lopez! The keeper has not had an awful lot to do this evening but he keeps hold of a cross under pressure from Riki there. He will try to milk it and hold onto possession for as long as possible now in order to wind down the clock.
87'
A chance for Madrid to grab their second on the counter is wasted. Ronaldo's pass to Benzema, who has acres of space on the left, is far too slow and allows the defender to get back in and cover. The Frenchman's shot is deflected behind off of Diakhate.
86'
The answer is no! For the third time tonight Ronaldo thumps his free kick straight into the wall. Maybe let someone else have the next one now, hey Ronaldo.
85'
Mainz gets yellow.
Y. Brahimi gets yellow.
Real Madrid do get a decision from the referee as Mainz brings down Ronaldo within shooting range. Will the third time be lucky for the Portuguese?
84'
THAT HAS TO BE A PENALTY!! NO! Buonanotte does duperbly to wriggle his way past Casemiro and drive into the area. The Brazilian dives in and does not touch the ball, and although the Argentine falls to the floor the referee is unmoved and books Brahimi for his protests.
83'
Riki tries to hold onto the ball in the Madrid half but is closed quickly by Pepe and Arbeloa. He ends up kicking it into touch himself and lets his team-mates know that he is unhappy at his lack of support there.
Minute
Description
81'
THAT IS MORE LIKE IT, RONALDO!! His best attempt of the night as he roles the ball into his right foot and lashes a shot at goal. Roberto is clearly unwilling to try and hold it and instead opts to punch the ball to safety.
80'
Ronaldo strikes it... and he hits the wall again! You always expect the forward to at least work the keeper with an opportunity like that.
79'
M. Iturra gets yellow.
Free kick in a dangerous area for Madrid. Iturra fells Ronaldo 25 yards from goal, stopping the Portuguese from receiving the second part of a one-two with Benzema. The Chilean is booked for his challenge.
77'
Nyom takes an opportunity to venture forward into the Madrid half and he is not closed quickly enough. However, the right-back hoofs an aimless ball into the area which goes behind.
Ancelotti's men look to break quickly with a long pass up to Ronaldo. He manages to bring it down and cut inside of Diakhate but the centre-back puts just enough pressure on him to stop him from finding the bottom corner with his shot.
76'
D. Buonanotte enters the game and replaces Dani Benítez.
75'
A SHOT!! Piti is not closed down quickly enough by los Blancos, but he is 35 yards from goal. He opts for an ambitious effort which bounces gently into the embrace of Diego Lopez. The keeper has hardly been worked today.
74'
Granada have minimal coherency when trying to hit Madrid on the counterattack. Their forwards are too far away from each other and there seems little opportunity for them to combine in dangerous areas.
72'
Madrid are playing some good football here and are forcing Granada to retreat to within their own area. Modric looks to break into the area but Diakhate beats him to the ball with a dangerous lunge inside the box. Had he done that a fraction of a second later it could have been a penalty.
70'
Nyom again gets the better of Ronaldo! The winger tries to beat his counterpart with a few quick stepovers, but Nyom is not fooled and picks the perfect moment to stick a foot out and win the ball.
68'
Fran Rico enters the game and replaces H. Yebda.
What a miss! Modric and Benzema combine excellently and the Frenchman manages to get in behind, but at an acute angle. He tries to wrap his foot around the ball and test Roberto, however it is the hoardings that are in receipt of his effort.
66'
With Casemiro now on the pitch this will enable Isco to push further on into the area vacated by Ozil. The Brazilian is a holding midfielder who looks to be improving after questions over his attitude during his time with Brazilian club Sao Paulo.
65'
Casemiro enters the game and replaces M. Özil.
64'
Benzema again finds space by floating out to a wide area, but this time it is on the left. He pulls a tantalising cross back into the area, however, Mainz is on hand to clear the danger with his head.
62'
OFF THE POST!! Benzema pulls wide to the right and hits a deep cross to the back post. Isco does well to keep the ball in play and he beats Iturra with a fine shimmy on the edge of the box. He then looks to curl an effort inside Roberto's goal but hits the near post. A great piece of individual play there.
61'
Nacho enters the game and replaces Marcelo.
60'
Ronaldo is stil struggling to get involved in this match. Moments ago he had another shot from distance blocked before Roberto even had to move. Granada are doing well to keep a close eye on him so far.
57'
JUST WIDE! But Granada are claiming for a penalty! Nyom receives a short corner from Benitez and drills the ball towards goal from the corner of the area. His effort takes a touch off of Arbeloa and goes behind, but the hosts are certain he used his arm to deflect it. They may well have a case too!
55'
Piti gets yellow.
Los Blancos have been victorious in 14 of their previous 17 Liga games and are currently on course to add another triumph to that list. For all of their ball retention so far, though, they have yet to really create anything dangerous this half.
53'
ROBERTO HOLDS IT! Just about, though! Ramos, who has been dominant in the air tonight, wins a header at a corner and sends it down into the ground. The bounce looks like it may beat Roberto but he gets a hand to it and pushes it aside, before scurrying to smother it.
52'
Nyom comes across to his side's left and dispossess Isco with a strong challenge. He feels he has been fouled but the right-back manages to keep the ball in play. He attempts to release Dani Benitez for a break down the left but there is too much weight on his pass.
50'
Oh dear! Ronaldo meets the corner in the middle but he completely mishits his volley. That has to go down as a wasted chance.
Brahimi breaks into the area but takes too long to get his shot away. When he does it is blocked by a blue shirt and in his attempts to bring the looping ball down, Dani Benitz sends it out of play for a goal kick.
49'
Ronaldo gets on the ball by the left touch line and beats Nyom with a clever stepover. He races to the byeline and looks for a cross but the defender recovers to block it for a corner.
47'
The referee stops play after a clash of heads in the area between Ramos and the player who has only just come on, Riki. Both players receive treatment but look like they will be able to continue.
46'
Riki enters the game and replaces Y. El-Arabi.
Welcome back. The second half is under way!
45' +1
Ozil bends a free kick into the box from the left and Pepe does well to get up and put a powerful head on the ball but he sends his effort straight at Roberto.
The half-time whistle goes!
45'
Just one minute of time to be added on.
44'
Di Maria and Ozil combine well down the right but Ronaldo is unable to bring the pass into the area under his control. The Portuguese has looked short of his best so far this evening.
42'
Los Blancos are just knocking the ball across the pitch now, looking to draw Granada out and then attempt to find the space. For their part, the hosts look happy to see it out until the break with just one goal in the game.
40'
Ronaldo looks to thump a free kick from the centre of the pitch, 35 yards from goal. He does his usually dramatic run up and... scuffs his attempt straight into the wall. Disappointing!
39'
Granada ended last season with three clean sheets in their final trio of home games. Benzema's goal earlier in the half ended that run, but Ancelotti would no doubt like his team to get another befor the break.
38'
Marcelo gets yellow.
37'
Dani Benitez tries to play a low pass into the area but none of his team-mates are on the same wavelength and a blue Madrid shirt wins the ball.
36'
Pepe gets yellow.
Ronaldo spots Marcelo in space on the left and sprays the ball out to his team-mate. The Brazilian fails to judge his run astutely enough and is caught in an offside position.
Yello card for Pepe for a poor challenge on Piti down by the corner flag. No need to dive in like that in such a position.
33'
AWAY BY ARBELOA!! Brahimi picks up the ball wide on the wide but cannot see a pass to make. After holding onto it for a few moments he rolls a pass to El-Arabi and receives it straight back in a more advanced position. The Frenchman looks to square it to the back post for Benitez but Arbeloa is back to cover and intercepts the pass.
32'
An excellent diagonal pass up from the back almost sends Benzema through on goal but the striker is not quite quick enough to get on the end of it.
30'
Super football down that right flank from Madrid again. Di Maria and Benzema combine well but as the Argentine breaks into the area Mainz tracks him impressively and gets a foot the ball to turn it behind for a corner.
27'
Dani Benitez goes for goal from a free kick, 30 yards from the net, but he does not put enough power behind his shot and Diego Lopez is able to hold it with ease.
26'
WHAT A MISS! Madrid again profit by quickly switching the ball out to the right wing. Arbeloa is up this time and his cut back rolls through to Ronaldo in the centre but the Portuguese's connection is awful and he fails to turn the ball on target, despite finding space between Mainz and Diakhate.
24'
Piti tries to be clever by taking a quick free kick and aiming at Marcelo as he stands over the ball. The Granada man completely misses the left back, though, and contrives to hand possession straight to the opposition.
22'
Arbeloa pushes on and looks to overlap Di Maria and get a cross in. The Argentine feeds him a pass at the byeline but the ball into the area is blocked by Mainz.
21'
Pepe and Ramos are absolutely bossing the aerial game at the back. All long passes from Granada are being intercepted by one of the defensive pair at the moment.
19'
HE HAS TO FINISH THOSE!! Real Madrid try to counter from the corner but give away the ball straight away. A pass is pinged across to El-Arabi who takes it well on his chest and closes in on goal. He opens his body up to bend an effort inside the far post but he sends a tame effort straight at Diego Lopez.
17'
Ronaldo looks to run at Nyom for the first time this evening but the full-back tracks him well and manages to make a goof challenge to take the ball.
16'
Di Maria took a quick free kick which he launched over the top to Ozil. The German lifted a delicate finish over Roberto but the referee pulled the play back. It looks as though he blew his whistle because Di Maria hit a moving ball from the free kick.
15'
GOOOOAALLL!! Absolutely sublime finish from Ozil... wait... no it is not!
13'
That goal will do Madrid the world of good. It will certainly dispel any worries that may have been in the players' minds following their result here last season.
12'
Granada try to play more positively following the concession of the opening goal and Brahimi has space to send a cross into the area. He is looking for El-Arabi but Ramos positions himself well to head away the danger.
10'
K. Benzema has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by Cristiano Ronaldo.
GOOOOOOAAALL! A simple finish for Benzema! Granada are looking vulnerable down their left and once more Di Maria exploits the space to whip a cross to the back post. Ronaldo beats a disorganised offside trap but although his first touch is too heavy, Benzema is on hand to slide the ball into the back of the net.
9'
Roberto had to make sure there! Isco clips a pass out to Di Maria on the right and the Argentine finds space up against Angulo in order to whip the ball into the middle. The keeper vacates his line but misjudges the flight of it and has to backpedal in order to tip the effort behind.
7'
Di Maria drifts inside and is picked up by Modric 25 yards from goal. He shifts the ball onto his left foot but his strike at goal takes a deflection, which takes the speed out of it and enables Roberto to hold it comfortably.
6'
Lovely intricate play on the right from Madrid after Ramos drills a pass out to the flank from deep. After a few good passes Benzema's final ball is too heavy and rolls out for a goal kick.
5'
WHAT A CHANCE!! Di Maria spots a darting run from Benzema and he feeds the striker with a brilliant pass after drifting in from the right. The Frenchman tries to dink the ball over Roberto with his first touch but he fails to divert it on target.
4'
Dani Benitez swings in a good corner from the right but Diego Lopez gets up and punches the ball away from danger. Madrid manage to win it and look to build from the back with a throw in.
2'
Nyom wastes no time in letting Ronaldo he is going to keep a close watch on him this evening and the Portuguese does not react well. Soon after he combines with Marcelo down the flank but the Brazilian is unable to keep the ball from going out of play.
1'
We are under way in Granada!
Hello and welcome to Goal's LIVE text commentary on this evening's La Liga clash between Granada and Real Madrid at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes. Both sides picked up all three points on the opening day of the season, and Madrid do not have fond memories of this ground from the last campaign. My name is Tom Webber and I will be walking you through this encounter.
The teams are in and Carlo Ancelotti has once more left Iker Casillas on the bench! Diego Lopez starts in goal for los Blancos, but here are the full line-ups...
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Lopez; Arebloa, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo; Modric, Isco; Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo; Benzema.
Real Madrid subs: Casillas, Carvajal, Nacho, Casemiro, Kaka, Morata, Jese.
With both Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso absent through injury, Ancelotti may look for Isco to play in a deeper role. The coach may also opt for more of a 4-3-3 formation with Modric sitting just behind the former Malaga man and Mesut Ozil.
Granada won at Osasuna in their first fixture of the season, which is never an easy place to go to. This match last season was Lucas Alcaraz first game back the helm of the Andalusian outfit, and he managed to earn a shock 1-0 win over Real Madrid. He will be hopeful of a similar result tonight.
The teams are out on the pitch so kick off will only be a few moments away.
HALF TIME - Granada 0-1 Real Madrid: Benzema's goal puts Ancelotti's men ahead at the break, but they have only looked good in patches. The hosts have started to get a foothold in the game, so los Blancos will be eager to score the next goal. Join me in 15 minutes to find out if they can in the second half!
FULL TIME - Granada 0-1 Real Madrid: Ancelotti earns his second consecutive Liga win thanks to a solitary strike from Benzema. Los Blancos made hard work of it but just about deserved all three points.
That is it from me, Tom Webber, for this evening. Take care and look forward to the Champions League tomorrow!
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