Cristiano Ronaldo was his usual brilliant self as Real Madrid overwhelmed Deportivo La Coruña in a 8-2 win on Saturday. The Portuguese striker scored three times as Los Blancos picked up their second league win of the young season. Despite the scoreline, there are still some issues that will concern Madrid fans, but overall, they’ll be happy with the points.
Deportivo La Coruña vs. Real Madrid: Final score 2-8, Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick leads Madrid
Los Blancos earned their second league win of the season with a laughable thumping of Depor.
David Ramos
The opening quarter hour of the match was all about patience and some bad luck for Real Madrid. The visitors were definitely the better looking of the two sides, but they struggled generate many good chances, having a couple chances short circuited by the slick turf that led to an ill-timed slip or an errant pass.
Finally in the 29th minute a little bit of magic from Cristiano Ronaldo put Madrid ahead. Álvaro Arbeloa, who'd been having good luck bombing down the right wing, sent a cross into the center of the area where the Portuguese striker was waiting. Ronaldo didn't use power to beat Germán Lux, instead he curled a header over the goalkeeper's extended hand and into the top of the net.
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James Rodriguez doubled the Madrid lead with a beautiful goal of his own in the 36th minute. Karim Benzema sent a ball back through the box to James who was situated 25-yards from the Depor goal. The Colombian settled the ball and sent a rocket that eluded Lux before tucking itself into the far top corner of the net.
In the 41st minute Madrid got a third goal on a bit of a strange play that saw the match referee demonstrate why playing the advantage is important. Benzema ran onto a long ball roughly 40-yards from goal, cut inside of Mobido Diakite, but was tripped up by Lux who was miles off his line. Instead of stopping the play, the referee play the advantage and Ronaldo picked up the lose ball and scored with a shot from distance.
Depor were thrown a slim lifeline early in the second half after the linesman flagged Sergio Ramos for a handball in the box. It was an extremely harsh call as Ramos' arms was against his body, but the decision stood and Haris Medunjanin sent Iker Casillas the wrong way on the penalty kick to make it 3-1.
The comeback ended in the 66th minute when Gareth Bale one-touched a through ball from Marcelo off the hand of Lux and off the far post to make it 4-1. Bale added his second goal of the match in the 74th minute in a play that was virtually identical to his first goal, with the big difference being Isco providing the assist.
In the 78th minute Ronaldo completed his hat-trick with a shot from the left side of the box that hit off Lux’s hand and into the net.
Depor got a bit of a consolation goal in the 83rd minute when Issac Cuenca found José Toché streaking into the box, and the striker sent a bullet header past Casillas to make it 6-2.
Chicharito scored an impressive curling strike in the 88th minute as he sent an off-balance shot spinning wickedly past Lux and into the top corner, giving Madrid their seventh goal of the day. The Mexican international striker added a second goal in stoppage time after his shot from outside the box took a big deflection past Lux, making it 8-2 just before the final whistle.
Depor: Lux, Luisanho, Sidnei, Diakité, Laure, Medunjanin, Bergantiños, Juanfran (Dominguez 46’), Fariña (Toché 74’), Cuenca, Postiga (Cavaleiro 46’)
Goals: Medunjanin (51’), Toché (83’)
Real Madrid: Casillas, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Arbeloa, Modrić (Isco 71’), Kroos, Ronaldo, James, Bale (Chicharito 77’), Benzema (Illarramendi 59’)
Goals: Ronaldo (29’, 41’, 78’), James (36’), Bale (66’, 74’), Chicharito (88’, 92’)
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