Benitez refuses to criticise Ronaldo

Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez has said he was pleased with Cristiano Ronaldo's performance in the 2-0 win over Eibar on Sunday even though the forward squandered numerous opportunities to score.

The Portugal international failed to capitalise on good chances in both halves before eventually adding his name to the score sheet with an 82nd-minute penalty.

While there was some criticism of the Madrid ace's showing, Benitez was not among his critics.

"Ronaldo got his goal again. He got a number of chances and I am pleased with Ronaldo's performance," Benitez told reporters. "Everybody played a role in this win. We all worked hard I want to emphasise that it was a team effort. We were all united."

Despite their victory, Madrid are in third place on the La Liga standings and currently trail leaders Barcelona by six points, but Benitez is confident that there is more than enough time for Los Blancos to turn their season around.

"It is only November and we have had a lot of injuries. I am optimistic," he said. "We will continue to fight in each game right until the end of the season."