Real Madrid 7 - Sporting Gijón 1

Madrid: Casillas; Miguel Torres, Pepe, Cannavaro, Marcelo; Van der Vaart, Diarrá (Javi García 53'), De la Red; Higuaín (Saviola 60'), Raúl, Robben (Drenthe 67'). 4-3-3.
Sporting: Sergio Sánchez; Raúl Cámara (Neru 46'), Colin, Iván Hernández, Canella; Michel, Camacho; Pedro (Luis Morán 56'), Kike Mateo, Maldonado (Diego Castro 46'); Barral. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Madrid: Miguel Torres, Marcelo, Van der Vaart, Robben for Sergio Ramos, Heinze, Guti, Van Nistelrooy / Sporting: Colin, Iván Hernández, Canella, Michel, Camacho, Pedro, Kike Mateo, Barral for Sastre, Gerard, Jorge, Matabuena, Andreu, Carmelo, Diego Castro, Bilic.

Goals:
1-0. 17. Van der Vaart. First time volley after Raúl headed on De la Red pass.
2-0. 33. Van der Vaart. Back heel flick wide of keeper from De la Red's cross.
3-0. 35. Higuaín. Connected with Robben cross and fired shot across Sánchez.
4-0. 47. Van der Vaart. Placed shot wide of keeper after Raúl laid ball back.
5-0. 51. Robben. Ran on to Van der Vaart pass and rounded keeper to score.
5-1. 53. Kike Mateo. Drove shot past Casillas on near post from Barral's pass.
6-1. 58. Raúl. Turned ball into net after Sánchez pushed up shot from Robben.
7-1. 64. Raúl. Picked up Saviola return pass and ran on to lob keeper.

Yellow cards: None.

Real Madrid moved up to second spot, just a point behind leaders Villarreal, after a 7-1 humiliation of Sporting Gijón. The Asturians had made eight changes after losing 1-6 to Barcelona at the weekend, but it made little difference as Van der Vaart helped himself to a hat-trick with just over half the game gone. The Dutch midfielder ran on to Raúl's headed pass to open the scoring, and got his second with a deft back-heel which left the keeper stranded.

A couple of minutes later Higuaín got in on the act with an angled shot from Robben's cross, and Van der Vaart completed his hat-trick just two minutes after the restart after Raúl laid back Robben's pass into his path. Robben made it five four minutes afterwards, this time Van der Vaart the provider, but the Asturians did get one back after a good run by ex Real Madrid B striker Barral.

It didn't take long though before Madrid were on the goal trail again, Raúl turning the ball into an empty net after Sergio Sánchez could only push Robben's shot on to the bar. And Raúl got his second of the night six minutes later after picking up a return pass from Saviola and scooping the ball over the head of the desperate keeper. Schuster took pity on the Asturians after that though, resting his key players for the weekend game. Sporting were hammered once again, and if they keep on at this rate the record books will have to be rewritten!