Real Madrid keep in touch with Barcelona as Zinedine Zidane's calculated gamble pays off

The Real boss has one eye on the return fixture with Tottenham

Real cut the gap at the top to five points (Getty)

Zinedine Zidane's calculated gamble paid off as Real Madrid eased to their fourth successive La Liga victory to keep Fc Barcelona within reach.

The Frenchman rested several key players to keep the fit members of his injury-hit squad fresh amid a hectic schedule, including the forthcoming visit to play Tottenham at Wembley, yet Real still brushed aside Eibar.

With Barcelona's controversial Saturday night defeat of Malaga taking them eight points clear there was no margin for error. But with Isco missing a fine chance in the opening minute, then Eibar's Jordan squandering a similar opportunity soon after, it seemed resting Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Marcelo could backfire. Real have, after all, dropped seven points at home already this season.

However, the Basque minnows helped Zidane out. An 18th-minute short-corner routine ended with Paulo Oliveira heading Asenio's cross into his own net under heavy pressure from Sergio Ramos. Nine minutes later Isco's cut-back was neatly swept goalwards by Asensio, but the shot should still have been saved by Marko Dimitrovic.

The Serbian keeper made amends in the second period denying both Asensio and Cristiano Ronaldo after each had been sent clear by Isco and Luka Modric respectively. However, the sight of Benzema and Marcelo coming off the bench was an unwanted one for a tiring defence and the pair combined beautifully with eight minutes left for the Brazilian to settle the match.

The result left Real third, a point behind Valencia, five adrift of Barcelona, a gap that Zidane will hope to have narrowed by the time the pair play the first Clasico here in late December.