Asensio found a way to break through the Granada defense with a superb, angled shot from outside the penalty area that hit the top right corner of the goal.
After second-placed Seville drew 0-0 with its host Osasuna, on Saturday, and Real Betis’s third loss 2-0 at home to Villarreal, Real Madrid consolidated its supremacy in the lead to six points.
In the absence of four of its key players, Real Madrid completely dominated the match, possessing the ball with a rate of close to 74 percent and hitting ten balls inside the goal frame, compared to only three for Granada.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti entered the match with a problem choosing his squad.
Karim Benzema, the top scorer in the competition with 17 goals, is absent for the second match in a row due to a muscle injury, while Vinicius Junior, who is second in the scorers list with 12 goals, is suspended. Casemiro and Lucas Vazquez were ruled out at the last minute due to a stomach problem.
Even in the absence of the four players, Ancelotti kept Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard on the bench, with the players away from the Italian coach’s accounts.
In the absence of any explicit striker, Ancelotti used the duo Isco and Asensio in front, but Real Madrid faced obvious difficulties in the absence of Benzema and Vinicius, who together scored 29 of the 48 goals for the leaders in the league this season.
Real Madrid came close to opening the scoring when Carlos Neva tried to clear the ball after a cross from Toni Kroos, but sent it directly to his team’s goal post.
Real Madrid increased their pressure after the break, but Granada held on until the ball reached Asensio just outside the penalty area to score his superb goal.
