Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema took a feeble Real Betis Balompie apart to fire Real Madrid to a thumping 5-0 win that provisionally put them level with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga on Saturday.
Madrid’s dynamic performance against the bottom club laid down a marker ahead of Barca and Atletico’s games yesterday at Levante UD and at home to Sevilla respectively, as well as suggesting that Carlo Ancelotti’s side are in fine form going into the second half of the season.
The three top sides all have 50 points, with fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who are to host struggling Real Valladolid today, trailing on 36.
Photo: AFP
“This was a good chance to be top for one night at least,” Ancelotti told a news conference.
Known in Spain as “BBC,” Bale, Benzema and Cristiano cost Real — the world’s richest club by income — in excess of 200 million euros (US$271 million), more than three times the value of the entire Betis squad.
As well as the prolific trio, Croatia international Luka Modric played a starring role at the Estadio Benito Villamarin in Seville, alongside the imperious Xabi Alonso in midfield as Madrid ruthlessly dominated from start to finish.
Photo: AFP
Ronaldo, who also netted in los Blancos 2-0 Copa del Rey win at CA Osasuna on Wednesday, celebrated receiving the FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player last week with a stunner to open the scoring in the 10th minute.
The Portugal forward picked up a pass from Angel Di Maria on the left, cut inside and unleashed a blast from distance that rocketed past Betis goalkeeper Stephan Andersen into the top corner for his 21st league goal of the campaign.
The hapless Andersen was again left rooted to the spot when Bale’s delicate free-kick nestled in the back of the net in the 25th minute.
Photo: AFP
The Betis supporters were furious with the Danish goalie, whistling him the next few times he touched the ball and also began singing the name of former coach Pepe Mel, who was sacked last month and replaced by Juan Carlos Garrido.
Chants of “Garrido go already” rang round the stadium and Betis’ woes deepened when Modric fed Benzema in the area and he fired home moments before halftime.
It was the France forward’s 100th goal for Madrid in all competitions since he joined from Olympique Lyonnais in 2009.
Andersen partly redeemed himself when he produced a fine save to deny Ronaldo seven minutes after halftime, but Di Maria made it 4-0 when he cracked a long-range drive into the bottom corner in the 62nd.
Substitute Alvaro Morata clipped the ball in from close quarters in the 90th to complete the carnage.
Betis are rock-bottom on 11 points, five adrift of Rayo Vallecano de Madrid and Valladolid, who are 19th and 18th respectively.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Rayo had defender Jose Raul Baena sent off in the 18th minute as they lost 2-0 at promoted Elche, while mid-table Granada and Osasuna drew 0-0 at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes.
In the late game, former Spain forward Sergio Garcia scored a late winner to give RCD Espanyol a 1-0 win at home to Celta de Vigo that lifted the Catalan club to eighth.
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