Inside La Liga: Real Madrid fail to believe in Rafa Benitez

Few La Liga games have shown such contrasts as Real Madrid’s narrow 2-0 win at Eibar yesterday.

Going into the game, Eibar had lost two of their first 12 games this season — the same number as Madrid. But emotions around the clubs could not have been more different.

Blancos boss Rafa Benitez was still under fire following last weekend’s 0-4 Clasico defeat to Barca, while the experienced Jose Luis Mendilibar and his team of mostly unknowns were being widely praised as they went into the weekend in their highest ever La Liga position of sixth.