Özil gives Madrid the right send off for Dortmund

LIGA BBVA | REAL MADRID 3-1 REAL BETIS 

The German scored twice and helped create Karim Benzema's goal as Madrid overcame a strong Real Betis side to go six points clear of Atlético Madrid in second place.

There is no such thing as an easy game, especially when all you want is a simple match, with few flashpoints and no injuries. All Madrid wanted against Real Betis was to win without any mishaps. In the end, all they got was the victory, which is not to be sniffed at. What they could not avoid, however, were the scares, the wounds, and the sensation that Cristiano Ronaldo is an army, and Mesut Özil a squadron. From Betis to Dortmund, no team can cope with them, as much as Pepe Mel's side tried.
The game was marked by the debut of the young Casemiro, the injury to Marcelo, and the fine performance from Beñat. Madrid were marginally the better side in the first half and took the lead right on the stroke of half-time through Özil.
The second half had a similar story, with Özil rounding off proceedings in the final minute and killing off any hope Betis had of salvaging a draw.
Betis, without playing splendidly, created chances in the opening half. Pabón hit the bar, just moments after Cristiano had struck the post, while Joel Campbell and Ruben Castro also came close to scoring.
Özil struck just before the break, taking advantage of a fine pass from Karim Benzema to shoot past Adrian from inside the box.
The scorer was later the protagonist of Madrid's second goal. Özil drove forward from his own area after Betis lost the ball while on the attack. The German found Cristiano, who then played in Benzema, and the Frenchman finished the move with one touch.
Betis refused to give up after conceding again and got the goal their efforts deserved when Jorge Molina converted a penalty, awarded for a foul by Nacho on Ruben Castro.
Castro almost equalised in the last minute, but he could only hit the bar, and Pabón could not convert the rebound. Madrid then launched a counter attack, with Cristiano crossing for Özil, who finished in style.
Betis then knew what they had always known - that their dreams of getting something from the match proved to be just that. For Madrid, meanwhile, the dream of conquering La Décima is still alive and well.