While You Were Asleep: Benzema, Vinicius strike as Real fight back to sink Atletico, Ajax fire coach Alfred Schreuder

On a freezing night at a sold-out Santiago Bernabeu hosting its first game for 77 days due to the World Cup break, Real started slowly and Atletico had many dangerous counter-attacks.

Atletico captain Koke delivered a brilliant through ball to Nahuel Molina who ghosting in behind Real’s defence and the full back set up Alvaro Morata, a former Real academy player, to tap the ball into an empty net in the 19th minute.

Eder Militao wasted a golden chance to equalise in the 32nd minute after Toni Kroos had delivered a perfect cross.

It was not only until Dani Ceballos came off the bench to replace the injured Ferland Mendy late in the first half that Real started to play better.

The 26-year-old midfielder injected a new dynamic into the team who were far more aggressive after the break.

Benzema wasted two good opportunities and Federico Valverde also sent a shot wide from just outside the box.

Ajax sack Schreuder as winless run continues

Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam have fired coach Alfred Schreuder after a 1-1 draw with Volendam on Thursday extended his side’s winless run to seven league games, the club said.

Schreuder was appointed on a two-year contract in May to replace Erik ten Hag after he left the Amsterdam-based club to take over as Manchester United manager.

But with Ajax fifth in the Eredivisie, seven points behind leaders Feyenoord after 18 matches, they decided to part ways with the former Club Brugge coach.

“This is a painful decision, but it’s necessary,” Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar said in a statement. “Regardless of the good start to the season, we lost a lot of unnecessary points. The football itself was precarious too.

– With Reuters Inputs