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Zidane pleased with Real form ahead of key last-eight clash with Liverpool

Luka Modric of Real Madrid is challenged by Aleix Garcia of SD Eibar during Saturday's La Liga match. Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images Expand

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Luka Modric of Real Madrid is challenged by Aleix Garcia of SD Eibar during Saturday's La Liga match. Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Luka Modric of Real Madrid is challenged by Aleix Garcia of SD Eibar during Saturday's La Liga match. Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Luka Modric of Real Madrid is challenged by Aleix Garcia of SD Eibar during Saturday's La Liga match. Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane felt his side limbered up for a crucial week in fine fashion with a 2-0 win over Eibar on Saturday.

Goals from Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema in each half wrapped up a routine victory. Real have climbed above Barcelona into second in La Liga behind leaders Atletico Madrid. 

Next up is a blockbuster Champions League quarter-final tomorrow against Liverpool before Saturday's clash with Barca who can leapfrog them into second with a win over Valladolid tonight.

"We made changes today and the team has not suffered in the sense that we have gone from the first minute for the game," said Zidane.

"The first part was spectacular, complete. We have to continue like this. The second part was a bit different, also because of a storm. We had about 20 complicated minutes to score the second goal.

"Now we have an important week, with a Champions League game and then a very entertaining league game. We have had difficult moments in the season and now we have to take advantage of this (period) that is good."

Elsewhere, Lille have stolen top spot from Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 after Jonathan David found the back of the net in a 1-0 triumph over the French champions, who had Neymar sent off in the last minute.

Canada striker David scored in the first half to put the northerners on 66 points with seven games remaining, three ahead of PSG who were lacklustre throughout. 

Neymar was dismissed when he picked up a second yellow for shoving Tiago Djalo, who reacted with a foul-mouthed rant and was also shown a red card.

It was poor preparation for Mauricio Pochettino’s team who take on the Champions League holders Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the competition’s last eight.

Bayern, meanwhile, moved seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win at title rivals RB Leipzig.

Midfielder Leon Goretzka broke the deadlock at the Red Bull Arena when he fired into the top corner late in the first half.

Marcel Sabitzer forced Manuel Neuer into a fine save with a long-range effort, but Leipzig could not find an equaliser.

In Italy, Inter stretched their winning run to nine matches against Bologna while title rivals, AC Milan and Juventus, dropped points with draws against Sampdoria and Torino. Those results left Antonio Conte's side eight points clear, a gap that could be stretched to 11 points with a game in hand against Sassuolo on Wednesday.

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