Real Madrid's 'important week' kicks off with victory over Eibar with Liverpool and Barca tests to come

Zidane's patched-up side win 2-0 thanks to goals from Benzema and Asensio

Real Madrid's Marco Asensio celebrates scoring the team's first goal. EPA

Real Madrid's Spanish midfielder Marco Asensio celebrates. AFP

Real Madrid's Marco Asensio in action. EPA

Real Madrid's Spanish midfielder Marco Asensio challenges Eibar's Spanish midfielder Sergio Alvarez. AFP

Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema shoots against Eibar's goalie Marko Dmitrovic at Di Steffano Stadium in Madrid. EPA

Karim Benzema scores Real Madrid's first goal against Eibar. AFP

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema celebrates with Vinicius Junior after scoring. AFP

Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema scores the team's second goal past Eibar's goalie Marko Dmitrovic. EPA

Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema falls over the advertisement boards. AFP

Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema celebrates with teammates. EPA

A patched-up Real Madrid kicked off a week that could define their season with a 2-0 win over Eibar to maintain the pressure on La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid.

The reigning Spanish champions face Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday and a Clasico against Barcelona next weekend, and goals from Marco Asensio and Karim Benzema saw them move to within three points of Atletico.

Atletico play away at Sevilla on Sunday night while Barcelona, who are four points off the top, host Real Valladolid on Monday.

Zidane picked a makeshift starting line-up but not by choice, with Raphael Varane and Toni Kroos both on the bench, the latter after returning early from international duty due to a muscle problem.

Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal, Eden Hazard and Fede Valverde were all absent through injury.

None of that quartet are expected to return against Liverpool in midweek although Zidane is hopeful on Hazard and Valverde. "We have to wait. I hope they can be with us," he said.

"We had to make changes today and we haven't suffered," said Zidane. "Now we have to recover ahead of an important week."

Benzema will be essential to Madrid's hopes of reaching the Champions League semi-finals, and of beating Barcelona too, after the Frenchman made it 11 goals in his last 10 games.

The 33-year-old Frenchman looked refreshed after the international break, his exclusion from the national team continuing to be of benefit to Real Madrid.

But Asensio was arguably the star of the show, his lively display in the front three likely to earn him a starting spot in the trio of crunch games now to come. "I'm happy for him, this will give him confidence and energy," said Zidane.

Eibar, who stay 19th, would have suffered a heavier defeat were it not for three goals being chalked off for offside.