La Liga preview: Pressure eases on Zinedine Zidane as Real head into Madrid derby battle

Los Blancos come through Champions League test while Barca back in spotlight after Juve buttering

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring his team's opening goal in their 2-0 Champions League win at home to Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday, December 9. AFP

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos and Marcus Thuram and Monchengladbach challenge for a header. EPA

Real's Karim Benzema, second right, celebrates with Luka Modric after scoring his team's second goal. Getty

Real manager Zinedine Zidane. Getty

Real midfielder Luka Modric heads the ball. AFP

Monchengladbach defender Stefan Lainer tussles with Real's Ferland Mendy. AFP

Real's Karim Benzema heads home the opener. AFP

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. AP

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema wins a header. Reuters

Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez shoots on goal. Reuters

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring against the Bundesliga side. EPA

Real Madrid's Luka Modric. AP

Real Madrid, having avoided a disastrous Champions League exit, face city rivals Atletico on Saturday looking suddenly well-equipped to ruin their unbeaten run.

Karim Benzema scored twice against Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday to end any fears that Real would fail to progress to the group stage after they had started the match with their hopes in the balance.

With Sergio Ramos back to lead the defence and Benzema clinical in front of goal, Real eventually went through as group winners with a comfortable 2-0 victory meaning they will avoid many of the big guns in the last 16 draw.

Manager Zinedine Zidane, whose job has been the subject of speculation after a turbulent start to the season, seems safe for now.

"This was the objective: to finish first," the Frenchman said. "We played a spectacular game, from the first minute to the last. We interpreted the game really well.

"I think this was the most complete game of the season. I've been a player and it's impossible to play like this all the time. We try to, but every now and then."

Atletico, who lead La Liga by a single point from the season's surprise package, Real Sociedad, also booked their ticket to the Champions League knockout stage with a composed 2-0 win against RB Salzburg in Austria.

Diego Simeone's side go into the last-16 draw as Group A runners-up behind reigning champions Bayern Munich.

Belgian international Yannick Carrasco returned from injury to score Atletico's second goal against Salzburg with a deft volley from Angel Correa's cross four minutes from time.

Simeone said after the Salzburg victory that he was becoming a key weapon for Atletico: "In the second half he was fantastic, his rhythm, his work-rate, he needs to carry on like that ... when he's playing at that level he is an important player and gives the team something different."

While the city derby – albeit without the fervent crowd such a game normally attracts to the Bernabeu – will dominate headlines on Saturday, Barcelona's match against Levante on Sunday will also come under intense scrutiny.

Barca are in such disarray that they need a victory merely to steady the ship after a morale-sapping 3-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League.

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Juve v Barca player ratings

BARCELONA PLAYER RATINGS: GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 6 - Left cruelly exposed for both of Juventus’ first-half goals, but pulled out a quite brilliant one-handed save to deny Ramsey a third goal for Juve early in the second period. Getty Images

DF Sergino Dest, 6 - Wasted a great chance to get his side back into the game just before half time when he shanked well wide. The former Ajax full back was also kept busy by opposite number Sandro. Getty Images

DF Ronald Araujo, 5 - A big night for the young Uruguayan but his collision with Ronaldo gave the referee a decision to make, and unfortunately for him, a somewhat soft penalty was awarded. Reuters

DF Clement Lenglet, 4 - Picked up a yellow card for leaning into Morata with an elbow, before conceding his side’s second penalty of the game when he inexplicably dangled an arm at a loose ball. Hauled off in the 55th minute for Umtiti. Getty Images

DF Jordi Alba, 5 - Booked for protesting too much when the referee declined to book Ramsey for a heavy challenge in the first half, and the full-back was inconsistent with his distribution when presented with opportunities in the final third. Replaced by Firpo early in the second half. Reuters

MF Miralem Pjanic, 6 - Moved the ball well through midfield in typical Pjanic fashion but a couple of poor strikes at goal stagnated his side’s momentum. AP Photo

MF Frenkie de Jong, 6 - Struggled to get a foothold in the first half-hour but grew in influence and saw plenty of the ball in the final third. AP Photo

MF Trincao, 5 - Floated in and out of the game without ever looking like providing a moment of inspiration when his side needed one. Replaced at half time by Braithwaite. Getty Images

MF Pedri, 5 - Final ball let the youngster down on a couple of occasions but the same can be said for a number of his colleagues. Replaced by Puig midway through the second half. AFP

FW Lionel Messi, 6 -- So often Barcelona’s hero, but the 33-year-old hit most of his efforts straight at Buffon in the Juventus goal. Not a night that will feature in the Messi highlight reel. AFP

FW Antoine Griezmann, 5 – Barely touched the ball during a first half in which he was starved of service, before clipping the bar with a glancing header in the in the 58th minute and wildly lashing wide 10 minutes later. Reuters

SUBS: Martin Braithwaite (Trincao, 46’), 6 - Fired a deflected effort just wide with 20 minutes to go and did make an effort to bring his teammates into the game. AFP

Samuel Umtiti (Lenglet, 55’), 6 – Booked for leaving his foot in a heavy tackle on Morata shortly after coming on. AP Photo

Junior Firpo (Alba, 56’), 5 – Brought on to inject some incision out wide but the backup left-back failed to get into the game. Booked for dissent late on. Getty Images

Ricard Puig (Pedri, 66’), 6 - The youngster showed for the ball and was keen to haul his side back into it, but the game was done by the time he was introduced. Getty Images

Oscar Mingueza (Aeaujo, 82’), N/R – Slotted into defence but didn’t have much of note to do in the closing minutes of a difficult night for Barca. Getty Images

JUVENTUS PLAYER RATINGS: GK Gianluigi Buffon, 7 -- The 42-year-old’s only serious save in the first half was to tip a Messi effort around the post, with his second-half action featuring a carbon copy Messi strike that the veteran got a hand to. AFP

DF Alex Sandro, 7 -- Very solid defensively against the rampaging Dest, while offering plenty of width at the opposite end of the pitch. Reuters

DF Matthijs de Ligt, 7 -- A fairly comfortable night’s work for the Dutchman, who ensured Griezmann was a virtual spectator for large periods. AFP

DF Leonardo Bonucci, 8 - Marshalled his side through a sticky 10-minute spell towards the end of the first half but had very little defensive work in the second period and had a goal of his own disallowed for offside. Reuters

DF Danilo, 6 - Gave away the ball a couple of times when he didn’t need to and picked up a booking for pulling back Puig, but not a bad performance by any stretch. Reuters

DF Juan Cuadrado, 7 -- Played his part in Juve’s second with a pinpoint cross to lay the ball on a plate for McKennie to smash home, and the Colombian was effective at both ends of the pitch. Replaced late on by Bernardeschi. Getty Images

MF Arthur, 7 -- Alongside McKennie, the former Barca man did a great job in starving his ex-colleagues of space to operate in midfield for large periods. AFP

MF Weston McKennie, 8 -- Took his goal quite brilliantly with an acrobatic volley to put his side firmly in the driving seat and was equally impressive off the ball. A contender for man of the match. EPA

MF Aaron Ramsey, 6 -- Operating as an advanced midfielder behind the front two, the Welshman did plenty of good work in and out of possession to create space for his wing backs to bomb on. Replaced for the final 20 minutes by Rabiot. AFP

FW Alvaro Morata, 6 -- Glanced a header just over the bar after 24 minutes and the Spaniard had a couple of openings on the counterattack but chose the safe option of holding the ball up rather than baring down on goal. Booked for kicking the ball away at 3-0 before being brought off for Dybala in the closing stages. AP Photo

FW Cristiano Ronaldo, 7 -- Never looked like missing his 13th-minute spot kick as the former Real Madrid man rifled home from 12 yards, before tucking away his second penalty early in the second half to put the game to bed. Replaced in injury time by Chiesa. Getty Images

SUBS: Rodrigo Bentancur (Arthur, 71’), 6 -- Helped maintain Juventus’ stranglehold on the game in the final 20 minutes or so. Getty Images

Adrien Rabiot (Ramsey, 71’), 6 -- In the right place at the right time to halt a couple of weaving Messi runs. Getty Images

Federico Bernardeschi (Cuadrado, 85’), N/R – Kept the Barca nice and quiet in the closing stages. AFP

Paulo Dybala (Morata, 86’), N/R – Unable to add to his side’s goal tally in his short cameo. Reuters

Federico Chiesa (Ronaldo, 90+1’) N/R – Not enough time to make an impact. Reuters

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The Catalans still qualified for the last 16, but as group runners-up Lionel Messi and his teammates risk drawing one of Europe's big names.

After the tumultuous summer which almost saw Messi depart, Barca and new manager Ronald Koeman never seem to have recovered. They sit ninth in the table with just 14 points from 10 games.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen said a win against modest Levante, who have just three points fewer than the Catalans, was essential.

“Now we have to concentrate on the league, which is the most important thing, " he said. "We have to try to get the maximum points possible.

"We’re not where we want to be in the league but we still have games to play, and we have the chance to recover some points. That’s the goal for these coming weeks.”

"We're playing at home and we can't afford to drop a single point now."

Meanwhile, Catalan businessman Jordi Farre -– among the candidates to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu as president in next month's election, alongside Victor Font, Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Lluis Fernandez – has promised to tie the unsettled Lionel Messi down to a new contract if he is voted in.

Farre said: "If we win the elections in January, Leo will renew his contract on the 25th.

"He is the best player in the history of football and we have to offer him an exciting project.

"We will be capable of motivating him and, the day after becoming president, I hope to have him renewed."