Despite watching Cristiano Ronaldo go off covered in blood, Real Madrid fans got to celebrate at home again with the team’s biggest win of the season in La Liga.
Ronaldo, who left the game late with a cut to his face, on Sunday scored twice as Madrid routed RC Deportivo de La Coruna 7-1, ending a three-match winless streak at the Santiago Bernabeu, and easing the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane and his players.
“The players needed a game like this, a victory with a lot of goals,” Zidane said. “It’s always good to score seven times at home. It’s not something that happens very often, so we are happy about it. We have to keep this momentum going.”
Photo: EPA
Gareth Bale and Nacho Fernandez also scored twice, while Luka Modric added the other goal for Madrid as they regained fourth place.
Real Madrid remain 19 points behind leaders Barcelona, who later routed Real Betis Balompie 5-0 in Seville with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez each scoring a brace.
Barcelona are 11 points in front of second-placed Atletico Madrid and 14 points ahead of Valencia. Real Madrid are five points behind Valencia, but have a game in hand.
Ronaldo had to leave with about five minutes remaining after being hit by defender Fabian Schar’s boot while scoring the team’s sixth goal with a header.
He was attended to on the pitch for a while, but could not continue as blood spilled over his face.
While walking off, his face still stained by blood, Ronaldo asked for the doctor’s smartphone to take a look at the injury.
Zidane said the Portugal forward needed “two or three stitches, but was fine.”
Real Madrid had already made three substitutions, but the much-needed victory was already secured by then.
The fans who had loudly jeered the team in previous matches were cheering on their feet after the final whistle.
“We played a perfect match,” Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro said.
Deportivo, in the relegation zone and winless in five games, gave the hosts an early scare when Adrian Lopez opened the scoring midway through the first half.
Nacho and Bale helped Madrid rally before halftime, and each scored again in the second half along with Modric.
Bale’s first goal came from a neat left-footed shot that was curled into the top corner.
Ronaldo, who had not found the net in three games and had been among those criticized by fans, scored with a shot from close range just a few minutes before getting injured. He did not celebrate.
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