Real smash Getafe after Cup ban fiasco
Benzema nets brace, club to appeal RFEF ruling
Real Madrid bounced back from their embarrassing elimination from the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player in midweek by cruising to a 4-1 victory over Getafe yesterday.
Karim Benzema was restored to the starting line-up and scored his first two goals since being caught up in a blackmail scandal involving French international teammate Mathieu Valbuena inside 16 minutes.
Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo then made it 4-0 before half-time before Alexis pulled a goal back for Getafe 21 minutes from time.
Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo started a league game for just the fourth time this season and just as in early season thrashings of Real Betis and Espanyol, their presence restored Madrid’s firepower up front.
Any sign of the fans’ frustration at the club’s latest gaffe in being eliminated from the Cup due to an administrative error was eased when Benzema fired home from Pepe’s fine cross after just five minutes.
Benzema has rarely featured in the last two months due to an ongoing hamstring injury allied to his offfield problems.
However, the Frenchman looked back to his best as he was only denied a second with a bullet header by a brilliant save from Vicente Guaita moments later.
Benzema did double Madrid’s advantage on 16 minutes when he slotted home from Bale’s headed cutback after Ronaldo appeared to have been fouled inside the area.
The one way traffic continued as Bale flashed a shot just wide from 25 yards and then forced Guaita into a more comfortable stop from the edge of the area.
However, the Welshman wasn’t to be denied 10 minutes before half-time when he showed great composure to finish from Ronaldo’s knockdown to score for the second consecutive league game for the first time since January.
Ronaldo finally got in on the act three minutes later at the end of a devastating counter-attack as he latched onto Toni Kroos’s fine through ball to register his 17th goal of the season.
Understandably, Madrid’s intensity dipped after the break, but Benzema did have a chance to seal his first hattrick in five years when he curled well over from the edge of the area.
Instead it was Getafe who rounded off the scoring when Alexis powered home Pedro Leon’s corner to reduce the arrears.
On Friday, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed that Real Madrid have been thrown out of the Spanish Cup after fielding an ineligible player in their tie against third-tier side Cadiz.
In the first leg of their fourth-round tie on Wednesday Russian international Denis Cheryshev not only started the match but also opened the scoring in Madrid’s 3-1 win.
But he shouldn’t have been on the field as he was due to serve a onematch ban in the Cup after picking up three yellow cards whilst on loan at Villarreal last season.
The federation’s competition committee judge ruled that “Cheryshev was ineligible to play... so Madrid have forfeited the game and the tie is resolved in favour of Cadiz.”
Real Madrid, Europe’s richest club, were also slapped with a fine of €6,001 (US$6,520). The club has 10 days to appeal.
In a statement, Real said the ban could not have taken effect as Cheryshev did not know he was suspended.
“The competition judge acknowledges that Cheryshev was not personally notified about his ban,” the club said.
“Real Madrid CF... can verify the acknowledgement that the Spanish Football Federation did not personally notify Cheryshev about his ban, which is the only way the ban can take effect.
“We at Real Madrid CF stand by our argument and will take the appropriate action to ensure that the final outcome is favourable for the club.”
The statement came after Real president Florentino Perez insisted at a press conference on Thursday that the his club “is not at fault” and should not be disqualified from the competition.
He said Real did not receive a list from the federation drawn in July of all the players who were under the threat of a suspension for the season.