Reigning European champions, Real Madrid, on Tuesday night, October 23 returned to winning ways after defeating Czech side Viktoria Plzen 2-1 in a tough Champions League clash played at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Karim Benzema and Marcelo netted for Madrid in either halves to gift the La Liga giants a much-needed victory.
Benzema opened the scoring for the hosts in the 11th minute, but the Madrid outfit failed to capitalise on that early damage, with a 1-0 slim lead at half-time.
However, shortly after the break, Marcelo struck a delightful close-range goal to extend his side's lead, with Patrik Hrosovsky netting the visitor's solitary goal in the 79th minute as the match finished 2-1 in favour of Madrid.
Madrid are now second in Group G with 6 points, with Italian side AS Roma leading the group with similar points but superior on goal difference.
The hard-fought victory will come as a sigh of relief for Madrid boss, Julen Lopetegui, who has come under fire at the Bernabeu barely months after succeeding Zinedine Zidane.
Before the Tuesday clash, Los Blancos had suffered three straight defeats including two in the hands of modest Spanish league teams Alaves and Levante.
The string of poor results saw Lopetegui's job hand in the balance, with reports filtering through Spain claiming the Spaniard could be sacked before the end of the season.
Following the Tuesday victory, Madrid will now be looking to build on the new-found momentum when they visit the Nou Camp this weekend for the mouthwatering El-Clasico.
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