REAL ROUT SPORTING
Ronaldo, Benzema net braces as Madrid chalk up healthy win
Madrid, Jan. 18: Zinedine Zidane’s dream start to life as Real Madrid boss continued as Los Blancos scored four times in the opening 18 minutes on their way to a 5- 1 rout of Sporting Gijon on Sunday.
Real remain four points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid, though, as Antoine Griezmann scored twice in their 3- 0 win at Las Palmas.
However, Zidane’s joy was tempered as Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema both had to be replaced due to injuries.
Bale limped off with what looked like the recurrence of a calf problem just before half- time having scored his 11th goal in eight games.
Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo also scored twice in the first- half before the former picked up a knock in a collision with teammate James Rodriguez.
Madrid have now scored 35 goals in six games at home since losing to 4- 0 to Barcelona in November.
“We played very well in the first half. We were concentrated and up for the game from the start. We prepared well and are happy with how the match went,” said Zidane.
“Karim just has a knock, which isn’t so bad. Gareth is a little more complicated because it is his calf and in his left leg which is a problem,” he added.
Sporting had surprisingly held Madrid to a 0- 0 draw on the opening day of the season, but were powerless to stop Real’s rampant ‘ BBC’ frontline of Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo early on.
Bale scored his seventh headed goal of the season from Toni Kroos’s corner on seven minutes to get the hosts off to the perfect start.
Ronaldo showed his frustration at not getting on the scoresheet against Deportivo last weekend and made amends moments later by smashing Benzema’s through ball into the roof of the net.
Benzema then produced a special finish of his own as he acrobatically swivelled to volley home Bale’s cross.
And another flowing Madrid move saw Ronaldo sweep home Dani Carvajal’s cross at the near post two minutes later. There was some brief respite for Sporting as Zidane’s men waited 23 minutes to add the fifth when brilliant play from Isco freed Benzema to roll in his 20th goal in 19 appearances this season. Newly- crowned world player of the year Lionel Messi had to be withdrawn at half- time with a hamstring problem as Luis Suarez’s hat- trick led Barcelona to a 6- 0 thrashing of 10- man Athletic Bilbao.
Messi paraded his record fifth Ballon d’Or before kick- off and the game at the Camp Nou barely lasted three minutes as a contest.
Suarez was brought down as he rounded Gorka Iraizoz and the Athletic goalkeeper was shown a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Messi converted the resulting spot- kick and Suarez was also heavily involved for the second as he played in Neymar to dink his 19th goal of the season.
Messi wasn’t risked for the second- half after feeling a hams t r i n g strain.
Howeve r, the Argentine wasn’t missed as brilliant play from Neymar teed up Suarez and Ivan Rakitic to make it 4- 0.
Suarez rounded off the scoring with two more to move out in front.