France striker Karim Benzema hit out at those who questioned his work ethic as he tried to play down Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelloti's suggestion that he shies away from hard work.
Real Madrid struck early through Karim Benzema and comfortably held Bayern Munich at bay to beat the holders 1-0 on Wednesday and move a step closer to a first Champions League final in 12 years.
The trial of French football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema over claims they paid for sex with an underage call girl was adjourned for procedural reasons on Tuesday until 2014.
Real will play Japanese champions Kashima Antlers in Sunday's final in Yokohama, looking to become world champions for the second time in three years and earn a record 21st international title.
Karim Benzema, who struck twice and came close to a hat-trick in France's opening victory over Honduras, again caused havoc against the Swiss at Salvador's Fonte Nova arena, scoring once and setting up another two.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Cristiano Ronaldo "is 100 percent" and will face Manchester City in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg but striker Karim Benzema and midfielder Casemiro will miss the game. Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury which forced him to miss Madrids last three games in all competitions and has resumed full training. But Benzema is yet to recover from a hamstring problem and Casemiro is still out after a knock to the hip sustained in Saturday's 1-0 win at Real Sociedad. "Cristiano is fine, he is 100 percent. He has trained and will be with us tomorrow, there is no risk," Zidane told a news conference. "We need a 100 percent Cristiano," he said. "He's a different player. His numbers show that and I'm happy he's with us tomorrow. I'd have liked Karim and Casemiro to be there too, but others will play and that's that," added Zidane. "Karim's situation is different. He still has a problem and we don't want to take any risks," he said.
Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid survived without Cristiano Ronaldo to win 3-1 at Racing Santander and close the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to seven points on Sunday.
IMAGES from the La Liga matches played on Sunday
France will field 11 warriors intent on proving Spain are not unbeatable when they play the world and European champions in a World Cup qualifier in Madrid on Tuesday, according to striker Karim Benzema.
The Frenchman nodded home an Isco cross after 55 minutes against a well-organised Granada side that attacked with pace.
Real Madrid produced a gutsy performance to earn a 1-0 win at Sevilla, on Sunday, which took them level on points at the top of La Liga
Cristiano Ronaldo will play no part in Real Madrid's game against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday after the prolific Portuguese forward was left out of the squad on Friday.
Real Madrid should have midfielder Xabi Alonso and forward Karim Benzema back from minor injuries for Tuesday's King's Cup semi-final second leg at holders Barcelona, coach Jose Mourinho said on Monday.
Real Madrid continued their impressive start to the new year with Karim Benzema giving them a 1-0 victory in the King's Cup quarter-final first-leg tie away to Espanyol on Tuesday.
Photos of the Group E match between France and Honduras at Porto Alegre.
Goals from Karim Benzema and Jese led Real Madrid to a 2-0 win over Osasuna in their King's Cup last-16 first leg at the Bernabeu on Thursday.
French police investigating a prostitution network questioned football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema in custody on Tuesday about the alleged soliciting of sex with a minor, police said.
Real Madrid won the Club World Cup for a record extending fifth time after beating Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal 5-3 in the final on Saturday.
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has not recovered sufficiently from a knee injury and has been left out of the squad for Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg at Juventus, the holders said on Monday.
Karim Benzema scored twice after the interval with a penalty and a header from a corner to give Santiago Solari's side a 3-1 lead, after Raphael Varane struck in the 34th minute to cancel out Anuar Tuhami's goal for Valladolid five minutes earlier.
Lionel Messi finally made his mark on the World Cup and lit up the Maracana with his first goal in the finals for eight years but Argentina had to battle hard for a 2-1 win over debutants Bosnia in their opening Group F match on Sunday.
Saudi clubs have spent more than 400 million euros ($439 million) in the close season to sign players from Europe's elite teams.
Following are the betting odds for the winners of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the top goalscorer at the tournament, which will be held in Qatar from Nov. 20-Dec. 18.
Karim Benzema went some way to justifying the 35 million euros ($49 million) Real Madrid paid to sign him when his goal secured a scrappy 1-0 home win over Real Mallorca in La Liga on Sunday.
Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr. scored in extra time as Real Madrid fought back to beat local rivals Atletico 3-1 and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
Marco Asensio and Vinicius Jr. scored second-half goals to earn Real Madrid a solid 2-0 win over struggling Valencia.
The Italian coach considers that having healthy players, such as striker Karim Benzema, will be the key to face the schedule that awaits the Madrid side, who will be looking to defend their LaLiga, Spanish Super Cup and Champions League titles.
Karim Benzema and Kaka scored late goals to give Real Madrid an emphatic 3-0 win at APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.
Olympique Lyon recovered from going 2-1 down and the dismissal of Fabio Grosso to draw 2-2 at home to Caen on Saturday to edge closer to a seventh successive Ligue 1 title.
Now, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo venturing into smaller leagues as they near the end of their brilliant careers, 2024 may finally be the year for the next in line in football royalty.
A tap-in by Karim Benzema and a powerful strike by substitute Marco Asensio earned European champions Real Madrid a 2-0 win over 10-man Chelsea.
Real Madrid produced a stunning comeback from two goals down to earn a devastating 5-2 victory at Liverpool
Cristiano Ronaldo said there is no chance of him playing club football in Europe again and that the Saudi Arabian league is better than Major League Soccer.
Real's Cristiano Ronaldo will be going in search of his third consecutive World Player of the Year award
Real Madrid fans and players showed their support for Vinicius Jr who was subjected to racial abuse over the weekend.
Kevin De Bruyne netted a stunning equaliser with a rasping low strike to give Manchester City a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid
Lionel Messi intends to join Major Soccer League side Inter Miami as a free agent, the Argentina forward said on Wednesday.
Champions Real Madrid earned a 2-0 win in a feisty LaLiga encounter at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday to ensure they stayed in the hunt for the LaLiga title with leaders Barcelona.
Champions League winners Real Madrid outclassed Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 on Wednesday to clinch the UEFA Super Cup for a record-equalling fifth time and kick off their season with a trophy.
A tenacious Barcelona frustrated Real Madrid to secure a 1-0 win over their bitter rivals in an ill-tempered Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Thursday.
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