A second-half masterclass punctuated by a Karim Benzema brace and a goalscoring return for Marco Asensio powered Real Madrid to a 3-0 victory over Valencia on Thursday night at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

With that result, Los Blancos now have two wins out of two matches since the return of LaLiga and are once again just two points behind leaders Barcelona.

After a scoreless first half in which Los Che went toe-to-toe with the home side, Real Madrid took full control in the second 45 minutes, beginning with a counter-attack capped by Benzema's first. Asensio, who suffered a long-term injury during last summer's International Champions Cup, marked his return with a goal on his first touch to double Real Madrid's lead.

The two goalscorers would then connect on the final goal, with Benzema scoring a wondergoal that will be on the highlights reels for days to come.

After some initial confusion about who would start at right-back in Zinedine Zidane's starting XI, Dani Carvajal took up his usual spot, while Ferland Mendy came in for Marcelo at left-back. Meanwhile, Isco's injury meant a bulked-up midfield with Casemiro, Fede Valverde, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, while Eden Hazard and Benzema were the lone men upfront.

At the start, Real Madrid were exhibiting the same free-flowing football that they showcased in the first half against Eibar, but the end product was still lacking as Valencia goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen made a couple of nice saves to keep the hosts off the scoreboard.

Valencia were very direct when in possession and an ingenious pass from Maxi Gomez opened up a golden opportunity for Rodrigo Moreno, whose shot stung the post. That was followed by a Rodrigo goal that was disallowed by VAR for an offside call on Maxi Gomez by barely a millimetre.

READ ALSO:

"We've prepared as well as we've can" - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Real Madrid reasserted their authority to start the second half, pegging Valencia back deep in their own half, but it was a counter-attack that broke the deadlock for Los Blancos on the hour mark. Sergio Ramos started it with a step-in that allowed Hazard to streak down the left wing, and after a quick one-two combination with Modric, the Belgian played to Benzema and the Frenchman finished with aplomb for a 1-0 lead.

The crisp passing Valencia were showing in the first half had given way to mis-played passes and heavy legs, and Real Madrid were poised to add a second at any moment. Zidane's first substitution did not come until the final 20 minutes, when Asensio made his long-awaited return from last summer's injury, replacing Fede Valverde.

The Palma native could not have asked for a better return: with his very first touch he deposited the ball into the back of the net with a purely-struck volley to double the Real Madrid lead to 2-0.

Real Madrid saved the best for last and completed the 3-0 scoreline thanks to a world-class finish from Benzema. Kroos pinged a cross-field pass to Asensio, who took a touch and then used the outside of his foot to feed Benzema. The veteran forward used his right foot to pop the ball up and then volleyed it home with his left boot to round out the one-sided second half.

MARCA