Real Madrid CF fans could be celebrating their 34th Spanish La Liga trophy as early as Thursday, if the club emerges victorious against Villareal. They are one step closer to securing the title after a well-earned 1-2 victory away at Granada on Monday.

Closest rivals FC Barcelona will be playing a match against Osasuna at the same time on Thursday evening. The Catalans are still trailing four points behind the leaders, and no matter what they do in their next two matches, Real Madrid will seal the victory if they win against Villareal.

It has been an impressive run for Los Blancos since the season was restarted after the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. They have won all nine of their matches since the resumption, with only two remaining before the end of the season. Meanwhile, Barcelona has already dropped a total of six points, after only managing draws against Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez travelled to Granada to witness the team get within two points of the title. Rising star Ferland Mendy opened Real Madrid's account by finding the roof of the net from an almost impossible angle in the 10th minute.

It was not an easy victory for Real, as Granada kept the pressure throughout the match. Luckily, Karim Benzema gave them some breathing room after he doubled the lead in the 16th minute when he outsmarted the keeper with a quick side-step before shooting.

Benzema's goal was much-needed, as Granada managed to pull one back five minutes after the restart. Darwin Machis squeezed the ball between Thibaut Courtois' long legs and shifted the momentum to the home team. Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, who was back from a match suspension, made a crucial clearance in the closing minutes as Granada fought hard to find an equaliser.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was not called into action as much as it was in the previous matches. Both brilliant goals from Mendy and Benzema showed the critics that they don't need any help from technology to score. Real Madrid is taking it one game at a time, and will be back in training today to prepare for Thursday's match.

Karim Benzema Real Madrid
Karim Benzema AFP / GABRIEL BOUYS
Real Madrid