Real Madrid carved out a 3-2 win against Huesca at the Bernabeu on Sunday night thanks to a late goal from Karim Benzema.
The division's bottom side took the lead inside the first three minutes thanks to Juan Camilo Hernandez's first-time finish, but Real hit back either side of half time through Isco and Dani Ceballos.
Xabier Etxeita then guided home a header 16 minutes from time to put the visitors on course for an unlikely point, only for Benzema to curl home right at the end of the match to dent their survival hopes.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the La Liga meeting between Real Madrid and Huesca at the Bernabeu.
Los Blancos are seeking back-to-back wins under returning boss Zinedine Zidane, having seen off Celta Vigo 2-0 before the international break.
Bottom side Huesca suffered a 3-1 home loss to Alaves in their most recent outing, meanwhile, and now find themselves seven points adrift of safety with this game in hand to play.
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Zidane; Odriozola, Nacho, Ramos, Marcelo; Isco, Llorente, Ceballos; Bale, Benzema, Diaz
SUBS: Vallejo, Vazquez, Reguilon, Mariano, Casemiro, Valverde, Navas
HUESCA TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Santamaria; Herrera, Etxeita, Mantovani, Pulido, Galan; Musto, Gomez, Rivera; Avila, Hernandez
SUBS: Gallar, Dieguez, Gallego, Aguilera, Jovanovic, Camacho
KICKOFF: Zidane has made five changes to his starting lineup from the win over Celta Vigo by bringing in Luca Zidane, Nacho, Llorente, Ceballos and Diaz. The decision to go with his son in goal, and not substitute Navas, is an interesting one. The hosts get us underway.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 0-1 HUESCA (CUCHO HERNANDEZ)
Who saw this coming?! Huesca take a shock lead at the Bernabeu through teenage attacker Hernandez. It is the first time the visitors have got the ball past the halfway line and they make it count. Avila refuses to give up on the ball out on the right and, after taking it from the feet of Nacho, he plays it into the box and his teammate's sweeping first-time finish is past Luca Zidane almost before he can react.
Many would have expected Madrid to record a convincing victory this evening. Well that early strike from Hernandez changes all that. Zidane changed nearly half of his starting lineup today and now his fringe players have to step up.
Madrid have not really offered anything since falling behind, perhaps still coming to terms with the early setback. Bale's dangerous cross causes some panic but Huesca deal with the danger. Benzema is then unable to keep his effort on target.
This is the first-ever competitive meeting between these two sides at the Bernabeu, incidentally, with Madrid coming out on top 1-0 in the reverse fixture nearly four months ago. A cross into the home box is nearly met by Hernandez.
SHOT! Real are definitely growing into the game but they have not really created anything of note yet. Bale is seeing plenty of the ball, playing it in behind for Diaz who is beaten to it. Odriozola does well to keep the move alive but his cutback is turned wide by Benzema.
The home side are dominating possession now but with a quarter of an hour played they trail 1-0. Huesca have far more riding on this match than their opponents, but this would still be a huge upset if it stays this way.
SAVE! Odriozola is proving to be Real's most dangerous player so far. The full-back loses the ball high up the pitch, wins it back and then hands it over to Benzema, who manages to turn in the box and get a weak shot away that Santamaria easily deals with.
Huesca have only had one or two attacks so far, scoring from one of those. The visitors win a free kick high up the pitch and goalscorer Hernandez steps over it, firing it straight into the wall. The rebound is sent wide by Gomez.
Real are struggling to find their rhythm, and plenty of credit has to go to Huesca for that. They are using a 3-5-2 formation and are making life very tough for Real to break them down. That early goal has given them a platform to sit deep for the remainder of the match.
Huesca are looking to get forward more regularly now, perhaps realising that sitting with 11 men behind the ball for 87 minutes is no easy task. The visitors are not getting close to the opposition target, but by getting forward they are keeping Madrid's attacking players quiet.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 1-1 HUESCA (ISCO)
Benzema wins the ball just inside the Huesca half and plays it out to Diaz. Benzema's shot is saved by Santamaria, but it turns into a fairly simple finish for Isco. That was a good team move from Madrid - normal service is resumed!
It is constant pressure from the home side now, as they close in on a second. A free kick is won in a promising position but Isco is unable to pick out a teammate with his delivery. Huesca could do with the half-time whistle.
That is now two goals in two games for Isco under Zidane - he is starting to look a player reborn. It should be noted that a couple of Real players - Bale and Marcelo - were seemingly booed by the home fans every time they got on the ball with their side 1-0 down.
Rivera takes on Ramos but the Madrid centre-back recovers to concede a corner. Huesca have been second best but it remains 1-1 at the Bernabeu and they are starting to look a little more settled.
Avila's acrobatic attempt from the edge of the box is an awkward one for Luca Zidane, but he just about keeps it out. Real hit their opponents on the counter but Diaz cannot quite work the shooting opportunity. The game has become end-to-end all of a sudden.
Benzema attempts a one-two with Ceballos but is blocked off the ball before he can get on the end of the return pass. The referee waves play on and the French striker wins the ball back, but there is no route through on goal. Huesca are standing their ground.
Huesca's most likely route through on goal is via the counter. Madrid are well in control of things but they could do with another goal before half time if they are to keep their supporters on their side. Bale is prevented from getting the ball in the middle, though he does win his side a corner.
Madrid have had a whopping 80% of the ball but they have only had three shots on target. Huesca will just be looking to hold out for the next five minutes or so and then they will only have another 45 minutes to see through.
Huesca have been giving as good as they get over the last few minutes, with Hernandez in particular looking a threat. Real are not exactly having things their own way so far - this has been a brilliant opening 45 minutes from the visitors.
Every time Huesca get at Real, the hosts lose their momentum. Huesca, who have just five wins to their name all season, only have a couple of minutes to see out.
CHANCE! A huge chance for Huesca to retake the lead goes begging. The ball falls nicely for Avila, whose first touch sets him up for a powerful shot at goal from 16 yards. The contact was sweet - perhaps a little too sweet as it rises over the crossbar.
HALF TIME: REAL MADRID 1-1 HUESCA
Real Madrid leave the field to jeers from their own supporters - those in the stands, bar the travelling Huesca fans, have not enjoyed what they have seen. The sides go into half time all square as Isco struck to cancel out Hernandez's early opener.
On their first visit to the Bernabeu, it took the visitors less than three minutes to open the scoring as Ezequiel Avila won back the ball from Nacho on the right and picked out Juan Camilo Hernandez, whose sweeping first-time finish was past Luca Zidane before the goalkeeper could react. All Real could offer in response over the next 15 minutes were a couple of shots from Karim Benzema, one forcing Roberto Santamaria into a routine save and the other flying wide.
Real managed to get back on level terms through Isco's second goal since Zinedine Zidane returned, following up his strike in the 2-0 win against Celta Vigo two weeks ago with a simple close-range finish here. Benzema carried the ball forward and exchanged passes with Brahim Diaz, before getting a shot away that Santamaria could only push as far as Isco.
The home side took control of possession for the rest of the first half, but the closest either team came to a second goal before the interval was Huesca through Avila. The Argentinian attacker trapped the ball with his first touch but rocketed it over the crossbar from a good position with his second.
BENCH WATCH!
REAL MADRID SUBS: Vallejo, Vazquez, Reguilon, Mariano, Casemiro, Valverde, Navas
HUESCA SUBS: Gallar, Dieguez, Gallego, Aguilera, Jovanovic, Camacho
KICKOFF: We are back up and running at the Bernabeu! This is a big second half for both sides, with Huesca no doubt happy with the current scoreline.
SAVE! Bale miscues his effort on the edge of the box but Benzema is alongside him and gets a decent effort away. The ball is heading towards the bottom corner but Santamaria gets down to keep it out.
YELLOW CARD! Pulido pulls down Odriozola just outside the box and is shown a yellow card. Bale takes on the free kick, sending it high into the stands. The Madrid supporters behind the goal let him know what they made of that attempt.
YELLOW CARD! Musto goes in hard on Isco and is rightly shown a yellow card. That is two yellows in two minutes for the visitors now, who have become a lot rougher since the restart. Isco is not walking all that freely after that challenge.
Real's play has been patient in this second half, but they cannot really afford to be patient when they have a little over half an hour to find a goal. Anything less than three points would be a big setback for Zidane in his second game back.
Huesca are not exclusively sitting back - they are occasionally getting forward and another corner is won, which comes to little. The visitors need to start making more of their set-piece opportunities as we fast approach the hour mark.
Gomez thinks he won the ball fairly from Llorente, but he went through his opponent and the referee is right to award the free kick. Real have struggled to get going in the second half, managing just one attempt - Benzema's curler - since the restart.
An hour has been played in the Spanish capital and it remains 1-1. Zidane will surely be tempted to turn to his bench in the next five minutes or so. Huesca are nearly in, but some good defending from Ramos thwarts their rare attack.
Avila is very nearly played through on goal, but Luca Zidane reads the danger and is quickly off his line to get to it ahead of the opposition attacker. Huesca have looked more likely to score than Real over the last five minutes.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 2-1 HUESCA (DANI CEBALLOS)
With a little over an hour played, Real take the lead for the first time today. Bale's sublime outside-of-the-boot cross is headed across goal by Benzema and Ceballos - who started the attack from deep - throws himself at it to get on the scoresheet.
CHANCE! The ball falls nicely for Herrera to strike, but he is unable to find the target with plenty of it to aim for. Zidane turns to his bench for the first time today by bringing on Vazquez for Diaz, while Gallego is on for Avila in the visitors' opening change.
YELLOW CARD! Nacho is the first home player to enter the referee's book for a foul on Galan. Real now need to see through the remaining 22 minutes, ideally with another goal to help settle any nerves. This has been a far tighter game than many expected.
CHANCE! The game has gone a little quiet since those changes were made. Huesca will be hoping for one more big chance, though at the moment they are struggling to get the ball into the opposition half. Odriozola picks out Bale four yards from goal, but the Welshman lifts the ball over the bar at full stretch.
Huesca are enjoying a spell on the ball, but they are not really troubling their opponents all that much. Zidane looks as though he is about to make another change to help see out the remainder of the contest.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 2-2 HUESCA (XABIER ETXEITA)
INCREDIBLE! Bottom side Huesca level up the match at the Bernabeu. Real commit the cardinal sin of allowing the visitors to play the corner short and work a better angle. Gomez's cross is met by Etxeita, with the skipper getting a run on Nacho to guide his header past Luca Zidane.
REAL MADRID SUB! Well this is certainly looking like being a turn up for the books. Zidane takes off Isco and brings on Valverde. Huesca boss Francisco was about to make a change before his side scored, but as soon as the ball hit the net he told the player waiting to come on to sit back down.
With Santamaria in need of some treatment, the visitors make another change - Juanpi replaces Rivera. Zidane has also brought on Mariano for Llorente in his third and final change of the evening.
Huesca win a free kick in a promising position which Juanpi, only on the field for a couple of minutes, curls into the middle. Madrid defend the initial delivery but Herrera has a chance to shoot, sending his effort wide of the target.
HUESCA SUB! Gallar replaces opening goalscorer Hernandez in the final change of the game. Bale gets on the ball and it seems like the whole of the Bernabeu is jeering him. It seems Zidane's return has not quite made everything better!
SAVE! Lucas Vazquez gets a shot away and Santamaria struggles to push it clear. The Huesca goalkeeper received treatment to his shoulder earlier in the half and is clearly not 100% fit. The match is incredibly open - the visitors are not settling for a point.
Huesca are guilty of taking too many risks. The visitors get bodies forward and are nearly caught out on the counter. For all of Madrid's possession, they have not tested Santamaria nearly enough as you would expect. Time is fast running out for Los Blancos.
GOAL! REAL MADRID 3-2 HUESCA (KARIM BENZEMA)
Benzema snatches all three points for Real right at the end of the match. Huesca fail to deal with another outside-of-the-boot cross from Bale and Benzema uses a couple of players as a wall to bend the ball out of Santamaria's reach. Great finish!
Two of the four added-on minutes have been played. Huesca, who have put up an almighty fight tonight, still have time to create one last chance. Zidane will just be hoping for the full-time whistle, you'd imagine!
FULL TIME: REAL MADRID 3-2 HUESCA
Real carve out a 3-2 win over Huesca to make it two from two under returning boss Zidane and move back to within two points of second-placed Atletico Madrid. Hernandez gave Huesca a shock lead inside three minutes, but Real hit back either side of half time through Isco and Ceballos. Etxeita then guided home a header 16 minutes from time to put the division's bottom side on course for an unlikely point, only for Benzema to curl home right at the end.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from the Bernabeu. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, and be sure to join us again tomorrow evening as we bring you updates from the Premier League match between Arsenal and Newcastle United. See you then!
