Karim Benzema stars as Real Madrid stretch La Liga lead without Cristiano

Karim Benzema stars as Real Madrid stretch La Liga lead without Cristiano

Cristiano Ronaldo was suspended but it made no difference for a Real Madrid side led by Karim Benzema

It was supposed to be Gareth Bale that stepped up and filled the void left by the Portugal forward, but the member of the attack with the least star-power was the Los Blancos hero against David Moyes's Real Sociedad.

He scored twice, one a tap-in and one an absolute screamer, to give Carlo Ancelotti's men a deserved win. 

There was a moment of silence before the start of the game to commemorate the death of a Real Sociedad fans that died in a car crash, traveling to the game and perhaps it unsettled the players. Real Madrid's defence were caught sleeping at an early corner and after just 38 seconds Gorka Elustondo powered a header into the far corner

Having suffered from early Fernando Torres goals in the Copa del Rey, you might have thought Ancelotti would have drilled his team in keeping their concentration early on, but it appears that wasn't the case. 

However, one thing Real Madrid are good at is scoring goals themselves and they were level within a couple of minutes. Marcelo whipped the ball in from the left and James Rodriguez, in a more advanced role than usual, nodded home expertly.

Real Sociedad nearly scored again soon after, with Estaban Granero's scuffed effort finding Sergio Canales, but he stretched and knocked the ball inches wide of the far post. 

Just while La Real were building momentum, Moyes suffered a huge blow. Carlos Vela, the man who has scored most of the Basque team's goals this season, sustained an injury and had to be replaced. 

Asier Illarramendi, hoping to impress against his old team, was enduring a poor first half in which he surrendered possesion on a couple of occasions, and then ended up in the referee's notebook for a high boot.

Luckily Sergio Ramos was faring far better and the defender was on hand to lash home after Benzema's shot was parried, sending Real Madrid in ahead at the break. 

Bale had endured an awful first half, stealing the ball of James' feet and firing wide with the keeper out of position. When that was followed up by a free-kick high over the bar, the notoriously fickle Bernabeu support offered boos, rather than encouragement. But he came out flying in the second, cutting in from the left and setting up Benzema to fire home from close range

His second goal was quite brilliant, receiving the ball from Isco on the left-hand edge of the box, stepping across and swirling a strike into the far top corner.

With Barcelona not in action until Sunday night against Villarreal, Madrid can rest easy on their four point lead.

Bale, however, won't be sleeping too well after he followed up his first half miss by spurning a one-on-one chance.