Karim Benzema scores winner as Real Madrid beat Granada
Karim Benzema scored to help Real Madrid eke out a 1-0 win over Granada and take the overnight lead of the Spanish league on Saturday.
Granada's disciplined defence and the solid goalkeeping of Andres Fernandez held Madrid in check, while the visitors' attack matched their star-studded hosts chance for chance in an evenly-contested first half.
But Benzema tilted the match in Madrid's favor 10 minutes after halftime with a close-range header to put the Santiago Bernabeu crowd at ease.
Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo saw his scoring run of eight goals two matches end as he failed to score his 500th career goal.
Madrid have 10 points, one more than Barcelona who can reclaim the league lead against Levante on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid visit Eibar later on Saturday, while Valencia welcome Real Betis and Espanyol are at Real Sociedad.