El Clasico: Real Madrid first-team given a day off after Barcelona loss by Rafa Benitez - except for Karim Benzema

Benzema reported to training on Sunday despite the rest of Real's side that lost El Clasico taking the day off

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema reported to training on Sunday after the loss to Barcelona (Getty Images)

Rafa Benitez’s response to Real Madrid’s humiliating loss to Barcelona was to give the entire first-team a day off – except Karim Benzema.

The France striker was the only player from the 4-0 defeat by the Catalan side to show up for training on Sunday at their Valdebebas training base, reported Spanish newspaper Marca, where he was joined by fellow squad members Casemiro, Alvaro Arbeloa and Lucas Vasquez after they were left out of the El Clasico encounter.

The France international had a total of two shots during the 90 minutes, with neither managing to find the target or test Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. The 27-year-old was not alone in struggling against Barcelona, with Gareth Bale singled out for severe criticism after failing to make any impact in the match, while Benitez and club president Florentino Perez have borne the brunt of the fallout since the final whistle.

The remainder of Real’s squad will return for training on Monday, with Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk now a pivotal fixture for Benitez if he wants to remain in the job for the foreseeable future.

Real fans waved the white handkerchiefs in the wake of Luis Suarez’s second goal, a traditional sign of their displeasure against the head coach or president – in this case it was both.

Why Benzema decided to attend training is not known, although he did have a two-week break before El Clasico after being left out of the French national team due to his ongoing legal case over and alleged blackmail attempt of his compatriot Mathieu Valbuena.