Madrid (AFP)

The French connection strikes again: with two goals from Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema, Real Madrid beat Granada 2-1 on Monday for the 36th day of Liga, and is now only one match away from a 34th coronation national.

Real crowned Thursday? After this brilliant success in Granada on Monday thanks to a powerful strike from the left foot from the side Ferland Mendy and a right goal from the center forward Karim Benzema, despite the reduction of the score of Darwin Machis (50th), Real Madrid could be crowned champion of Spain from Thursday against Villarreal (19:00 GMT).

Les Bleus du Real at the top: with a Benzema that marks the history of the club and a sparkling Mendy, slowly dislodging the Brazilian Marcelo (currently injured with adductors) from the left lane, Real Madrid signed a performance of high flight Monday evening in Granada. Zinédine Zidane's team is just one match away from putting an end to Barça's national hegemony.

- Mendy, first goal -

The two former Lyonnais scored at entry, which allowed Real to play its game, before a drop in speed at the end of the game.

Mendy (25), a tireless locomotive who had already distinguished himself by causing the victory penalty on Saturday night against Alavés, scored his first goal on Monday in the jersey of the "White House", which he joined in the summer last for six years and 48 M EUR.

For Benzema, this is his 19th La Liga goal this season (with 8 assists): the center forward is the 5th best scorer in the history of the galactic club (behind legends like Raul, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stéfano) and is the only one to challenge the authority of superstar Lionel Messi (22 goals, 21 assists) in the ranking of the best in the Spanish championship this season.

Only N.9 available at Real - Mariano Diaz is injured and Luka Jovic still has to wait after his second negative test for the new coronavirus -, Karim Benzema has still taken his responsibilities to lead Real to the title, after what will remain as his best season in Madrid since joining the club in 2009.

In an innovative device, where Zidane surrounded his favorite center-forward and the only striker lined up straight away Monday evening Karim Benzema from four midfielders - Valverde, Modric, Kroos Isco), Real signed a high-class match, reassuring less than a month from his 8th final Champions League return against Manchester City, 2-1 defeat in the first leg).

- End of invincibility -

In this symphony, only one downside: the merengue curtain, the best defense of the five major European championships (22 goals conceded this season in La Liga only), was torn for the first time in six games (2-1 at San Sebastian on June 21), on a goal from the left of the Venezuelan Darwin Machis (50th).

And this, despite the return of suspension of executives Dani Carvajal and Sergio Ramos in the white curtain.

It is therefore an end of invincibility for Thibaut Courtois: the Belgian international doorman spent 506 minutes without conceding a single goal in La Liga, but remains far from the record of Santiago Canizares (709 minutes without conceding in La Liga). But the ex-goalkeeper of Atlético and Chelsea already has 18 "clean sheets" this season in the league, which puts him in the lead for the Zamora trophy for the best Liga goalkeeper, far ahead of Jan Oblak (Atlético), Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao) and Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona).

With this victory, Real now has its destiny in its hands. If successful Thursday against the European candidate Villarreal (5th), defeated this Monday at home by Real Sociedad (2-1), the men of Zinédine Zidane will be able to leave their small stadium behind closed doors of Alfredo Di Stéfano with the crown of champion of Spain on the head.

Full results of the 36th day:

Saturday

Osasuna - Celta Vigo 2 - 1

Valladolid - Barcelona 0 - 1

Atlético Madrid - Betis Seville 1 - 0

Sunday

Espanyol Barcelona - Eibar 0 - 2

Levante - Athletic Bilbao 1 - 2

Leganés - Valence CF 1 - 0

Seville - Mallorca 2 - 0

Monday

Villarreal - Real Sociedad 1 - 2

Alavés - Getafe 0 - 0

Granada - Real Madrid 1 - 2

© 2020 AFP