<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Real Madrid were made to wait, but eventually conjured a stylish 2-0 victory at Cadiz on Saturday in La Liga, ahead of their Champions League trip to face Chelsea.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nacho Fernandez and Marco Asensio struck to help champions Madrid cut Barcelona's lead at the top of the table to 10 points, before the Catalans visit Getafe on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both sides hit the woodwork in the first half but Madrid overran their opponents, with only Cadiz goalkeeper David Gil keeping them at bay.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eventually, when it seemed they had tried everything, Nacho broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute with a drive from distance, with Asensio adding another four minutes later.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Good attitude, good commitment, good combinations, the team played very well," said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It was a game that could have been a trap -- the players were concentrating well, and we played well."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ancelotti rang the changes at the Nuevo Mirandilla to rest players for the visit to Stamford Bridge for the quarter-final second leg, including veteran midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric and winger Vinicius Junior.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Madrid suffered a 3-2 home defeat by Villarreal last weekend before the 2-0 first leg win over Chelsea, and Ancelotti admitted his team were not motivated enough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On this occasion they arrived with the right mindset and on another day would have ended the first half several goals in front.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gil made stunning saves to deny Karim Benzema, Rodrygo and Asensio.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Madrid were racking up the shots and, finally, their 26th effort of the night went in.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It came from an unlikely source, in veteran defender Nacho, who drove home from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With Cadiz's resistance broken, Madrid quickly added another.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fede Valverde carried the ball forward and fed Asensio, who finished clinically.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a satisfying evening for Ancelotti and his team, leaving them in good shape to continue their European adventure, aiming to finish the job in London and reach the semi-finals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite his other rotations, Ancelotti left Benzema on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, a surprise given he has had fitness issues this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I saw him doing so well, he was so fresh," the coach told reporters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I told him I'll start you and when you are tired, I'll take you off, but he was good until the end.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"He was a bit sad not to have scored, but he combined spectacularly with Rodrygo and it was a pleasure to watch him -- it was hard for me to take him off because I wanted to enjoy his quality on the pitch."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Defeat leaves Cadiz 15th, four points clear of the drop zone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Athletic avengers -</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elsewhere Inaki Williams scored twice as Athletic Bilbao beat Real Sociedad 2-0 in the Basque derby, giving a fiery San Mames something to celebrate after the team's Copa del Rey semi-final exit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">La Real had the chance to tighten their grip on fourth place after Villarreal, sixth, stumbled to a 2-1 home defeat by relegation-battling Real Valladolid, but fell short in Bilbao.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Real Betis beat struggling Espanyol 3-1 to move fifth, three points behind Imanol Alguacil's side.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro made good saves from brothers Nico and Inaki Williams, before the latter broke the deadlock when he stabbed home from a corner.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Inaki smashed home his second goal after 70 minutes, driving into the box and rifling past Remiro from a tight angle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alexander Sorloth should have pulled one back for the visitors but inexplicably slammed over the bar from point-blank range.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Barrenetxea followed suit with another huge miss when completely unmarked in the box late on, leaving Athletic fans laughing in the stands at their luck.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Los Leones celebrated with their fans at the end, the victory making amends for their recent cup exit against Osasuna.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Athletic stayed seventh but ensured the race for European football grew tighter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It was important to win at home, after the cup day," said their coach Ernesto Valverde.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's a derby, we know the pressure there is in these type of games, it was a very tense match." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>