Match ends, Huesca 0, Real Madrid 1.
Real Madrid beat Huesca 1-0: Gareth Bale scores only goal of game
- From the section European Football
Wales forward Gareth Bale scored the winner as Real Madrid moved back into La Liga's top four with a hard-fought victory at bottom side Huesca.
Bale ended a run of 10 matches without a goal in Spain's top flight with a sumptuous side-footed volley.
Huesca should have equalised after the break, but Gonzalo Melero headed wide from close range.
Bale saw a chipped effort diverted just wide, while Juan Camilo Hernandez fired over for Huesca as Real hung on.
Thibaut Courtois tipped a Moi Gomez free-kick over the bar in injury time, and Dani Carvajal headed a Christian Rivera effort off the line from the resulting corner.
Huesca, who are in their first season in La Liga, matched Real's four efforts on target, and for long periods outplayed their more illustrious opponents.
Indeed, the visitors only managed two shots on target in the second half - their lowest return in all competitions this season - and Karim Benzema failed to register a single effort for the first time this campaign.
However, after Melero's glaring miss, Huesca failed to create another chance of similar quality, and also found Courtois in good form. The Belgian had made a series of important interventions before his 92nd-minute stop to deny Gomez, most notably an acrobatic save from David Ferreiro's 57th-minute drive, to keep a third clean sheet in a row.
Victory for Santiago Solari's side leaves them five points behind leaders Barcelona, who thrashed city rivals Espanyol 4-0 on Saturday.
They next play on Wednesday, at home to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, having already secured a place in the knockout round.
Line-ups
Huesca
- 25Jovanovic
- 24Miramón
- 18ÍnsuaBooked at 80mins
- 3EtxeitaBooked at 42mins
- 14Pulido
- 5AguileraSubstituted forMeleroat 19'minutes
- 6Gómez Bardonado
- 19ÁvilaSubstituted forLongoat 84'minutes
- 17Rivera
- 7FerreiroSubstituted forGurlerat 76'minutes
- 9Hernández
Substitutes
- 8Melero
- 10Camacho Barnola
- 12Longo
- 13Santamaría
- 20Brezancic
- 21Gurler
- 22Sastre
Real Madrid
- 25Courtois
- 19Odriozola
- 5Varane
- 4Ramos
- 2CarvajalBooked at 26mins
- 18Llorente
- 17Vázquez
- 10ModricSubstituted forIscoat 66'minutes
- 24CeballosBooked at 39minsSubstituted forValverdeat 58'minutes
- 11BaleSubstituted forAsensioat 76'minutes
- 9Benzema
Substitutes
- 1Navas
- 3Vallejo
- 15Valverde
- 20Asensio
- 22Isco
- 28Paixão de Oliveira Júnior
- 31Sánchez de Felipe
- Referee:
- Mario Melero López
- Attendance:
- 7,341
Match Stats
Home TeamHuescaAway TeamReal Madrid
- Possession
- Home46%
- Away54%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away4
- Corners
- Home11
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away10
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Huesca 0, Real Madrid 1.
Corner, Huesca. Conceded by Daniel Carvajal.
Attempt blocked. Christian Rivera (Huesca) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Huesca. Conceded by Thibaut Courtois.
Foul by Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid).
Serdar Gurler (Huesca) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Offside, Huesca. Moi Gómez tries a through ball, but Jorge Pulido is caught offside.
Foul by Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).
Juan Camilo Hernández (Huesca) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Juan Camilo Hernández (Huesca) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Samuele Longo.
Attempt missed. Jorge Pulido (Huesca) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Christian Rivera.
Substitution
Substitution, Huesca. Samuele Longo replaces Ezequiel Ávila.
Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jorge Miramón (Huesca).
Booking
Pablo Ínsua (Huesca) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Isco (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Pablo Ínsua (Huesca).
Attempt blocked. Serdar Gurler (Huesca) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Corner, Huesca. Conceded by Daniel Carvajal.
Substitution
Substitution, Real Madrid. Marco Asensio replaces Gareth Bale.
Substitution
Substitution, Huesca. Serdar Gurler replaces David Ferreiro.
Attempt missed. Xabier Etxeita (Huesca) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by David Ferreiro with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Huesca. Conceded by Daniel Carvajal.
Foul by Marcos Llorente (Real Madrid).
Juan Camilo Hernández (Huesca) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by Aleksandar Jovanovic.
Attempt saved. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Isco.
Substitution
Substitution, Real Madrid. Isco replaces Luka Modric.
Offside, Huesca. Juan Camilo Hernández tries a through ball, but David Ferreiro is caught offside.
Corner, Huesca. Conceded by Gareth Bale.
Corner, Huesca. Conceded by Marcos Llorente.
Offside, Real Madrid. Gareth Bale tries a through ball, but Karim Benzema is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Sergio Ramos.
Offside, Huesca. Jorge Pulido tries a through ball, but David Ferreiro is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Real Madrid. Federico Valverde replaces Dani Ceballos.
Hand ball by Pablo Ínsua (Huesca).
Corner, Huesca. Conceded by Thibaut Courtois.
Attempt saved. David Ferreiro (Huesca) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Ezequiel Ávila.
Attempt blocked. Ezequiel Ávila (Huesca) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jorge Pulido.
