Sharjah 24 – AFP: Karim Benzema buried his World Cup nightmare with two late goals as Real Madrid defeated Valladolid 2-0 on Friday to go top of Spain's La Liga.
Ballon d'Or winner Benzema was selected in the French squad for the World Cup in Qatar but a thigh injury in training saw him forced to withdraw before the opening game.
He then announced his retirement from international football following the tournament where France were runners-up to Argentina.
On Friday, he tucked away his first goals since October 19 when Real defeated Elche.
However, he had to be patient with his first goal coming in the 83rd minute from a penalty awarded when Javi Sanchez was punished for handball.
Helped by a red card for Valladolid's Sergio Leon, Benzema then added his second of the night six minutes later from a pass by French compatriot Eduardo Camavinga.
The victory moved Real one point clear at the top but Barcelona can reclaim pole position on Saturday when they tackle city rivals Espanyol.
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