Holders Real Madrid chased away some of their early-season blues when Gareth Bale scored the pick of the goals as the record 10-time winners routed Basel 5-1 in their UEFA Champions League Group B opener on Tuesday.
After a deflected Nacho effort put Real 1-0 ahead in the 14th minute, Bale raced on to a Luka Modric pass and dinked the ball brilliantly over onrushing Basel goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik, before volleying into an empty net.
A minute later, Bale found space on the right of the penalty area and sent over a low cross for Cristiano Ronaldo, last season’s Champions League top scorer with 17 goals, to tap in at the far post.
Photo: Reuters
New Real signing James Rodriguez made it 4-0 in the 37th minute when he started and finished a sweeping counterattack, before Derlis Gonzalez almost immediately pulled a goal back for the visitors when he sped clear and beat Iker Casillas with a low strike.
Karim Benzema completed the scoring in the 79th minute when he lashed a left-foot shot into the net off the underside of the bar as Real became the first club to score 1,000 goals in European competition.
Real, chasing a record-extending 11th European crown, went into the game at the Santiago Bernabeu having lost twice on the trot in La Liga and were under pressure to produce a convincing performance in front of their demanding fans.
While Basel hardly represent the stiffest test they will face as they seek to become the first team to defend their European title in the Champions League era, the victory will lift their spirits ahead of Sunday’s La Liga game at promoted RC Deportivo de La Coruna.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti has had problems integrating Rodriguez and fellow new signing Toni Kroos in midfield, but both produced solid displays against the Swiss champions, with Rodriguez supplying a clever back-heel to send Nacho clear in the buildup to the opening goal.
However, there were still some signs of weakness in Real’s defense and the fact that Basel managed five shots on target to the home side’s nine will not have pleased Ancelotti.
“It’s normal that people get nervous if you lose two games at the start of the season,” Ancelotti said at a press conference. “It’s clear that not everything has been solved, but I liked the reaction of the team. They started the first half with a lot of intensity, pressuring high up the pitch. The game was easy because we started very well the first 30 minutes. We scored the goals and then tried to control the game.”
Basel played some attractive soccer of their own and almost scored a second in the 76th minute when Fabian Schaer struck a curling effort against a post after a neat passing move through the middle.
“I think we played with ambition and created a lot of scoring chances, which showed we weren’t just focusing on defense,” Basel’s Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa told a press conference.
“At some moments we were too naive, but at others we showed a lot of personality,” added the former midfielder, a Champions League winner with Juventus in 1995-1996 and Borussia Dortmund a year later. “I wanted us to be the protagonists and at times at the Bernabeu tonight my team were the protagonists. Of course, the result was disappointing, but we knew we were competing against a completely different reality and we knew the quality of the Real Madrid players.”
Casillas was roundly whistled during last Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, who lost 4-1 to Real in the final of Europe’s elite club competition last season, and was blamed for letting in Atletico’s opening goal at a corner.
A significant section of fans again made their displeasure with the club captain clear, while supporters in other parts of the stadium tried to drown out the whistles with applause and eventually gained the upper hand.
A superb point-blank save from the lively Gonzalez in the 67th minute earned Casillas, who endured a woeful World Cup with Spain in Brazil, a loud ovation, but he remains under a cloud, despite celebrating 15 years since his Real debut last week.
Quizzed about the latest whistles, Ancelotti said he believed the supporters were happy with the team’s performance.
“The team played well and scored a lot of goals,” Ancelotti said. “I think the Bernabeu is happy.”
Ronaldo’s goal took his overall Champions League tally to 68, one more than Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, and three short of record holder and former Real striker Raul.
Real’s next outing in the competition is at Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad on Oct. 1, before they visit Liverpool on Oct. 22.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping