Real Madrid have won just two league games out of eight
Saturday 24 November 2018 14:36, UK
Rampant Eibar humiliated European champions Real Madrid with an emphatic 3-0 win in La Liga on Saturday thanks to strikes from Gonzalo Escalante, Sergi Enrich and Kike Garcia.
Santiago Solari's first game as permanent coach of Madrid ended in defeat, after four consecutive victories during his time as interim manager.
On-loan Barcelona defender Marc Cucurella played a part in each of Eibar's goals as they tore apart Madrid's fragile defence and the Basques would have added to their tally but for some fine saves by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Eibar are now provisionally seventh on 18 points, two behind struggling sixth-placed Real.
The result in no way flattered the hosts, who had lost eight and drawn two of their previous 10 fixtures against the capital club, as they delivered on boss Jose Luis Mendilibar's pre-match promise to take the game to Real. Former Middlesbrough striker Kike hit the goalframe in the early stages.
Gareth Bale thought he had broken the deadlock moments later when he rifled past Asier Riesgo from outside the area, only to be denied by the offside flag, before Jose Angel cleared off the line after Marco Asensio had chipped over the Eibar goalkeeper.
But Escalante put Eibar ahead in the 18th minute, following up on the rebound after Kike's shot from a Cucurella cross had been parried by Courtois.
It was a scruffy finish and Escalante was initially flagged for offside but the decision was correctly overturned by the video assistant referee.
Emboldened by the early breakthrough, Eibar continued on the front foot although Bale went close before the break, with his free-kick tipped around the post by Riesgo.
Real had lacked urgency in the first half and their passive approach was punished seven minutes after the interval when Enrich doubled Eibar's lead.
Alvaro Odriozola was dispossessed in a dangerous area and the influential Cucurella found Enrich, who composed himself before drilling past Courtois.
The two Eibar players linked up again five minutes later, Cucurella's cross reaching Enrich, who touched on for Kike to get on the scoresheet and further stun Real.
Eibar were three goals ahead before the hour mark but they might have had more, Courtois saving well to deny Fabian Orellana.
