First Division - Day 2

Real Madrid 5 - Betis 0

Madrid: Keylor Navas; Danilo, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Modric (Kovacic 75’), Kroos (Casemiro 86’); Bale, James, Ronaldo; Benzema (Isco 53’). 4-2-3-1.
Betis: Adán; Piccini, Bruno, Pezzella, Molinero (Jorge Molina 46’); Xavi Torres, N'Diaye; Cejudo, Dani Ceballos (Digard 53’), Vargas; Rubén Castro. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 02. Bale. Steered header down past Adán from long James centre.
2-0. 38. James. Struck wide free kick round wall and in off the far post.
3-0. 47. Benzema. Got on the end of Bale cross to head ball past Adán.
4-0. 50. James. Blocked Kroos shot and turned overhead kick past keeper.
5-0. 88. Bale. Ran on from midfield to fire long shot in off Adán’s near post.

Yellow cards: Kroos 24’, Vargas 29’, Molinero 38’, Varane 60’, Casemiro 86’, Xavi Torres 92’.

Real Madrid ended their goal drought with a convincing 5-0 win over Betis in the last match of Saturday evening, a result which gives coach Rafa Benítez some breathing space after a poor pre-season and a goal-less draw in Gijón in their opening fixture. Bale headed in a James cross to open the scoring with less than two minutes gone, and ex Madrid keeper Adán had to make a couple of top class saves from Ronaldo before James made it two with a wide free kick which rocketed in off the far post. After the interval Benzema made it three with a header from Bale’s cross, and James scored a fourth with an acrobatic overhead kick after blocking a previous shot from Kroos. Keylor Navas had to save from Rubén Castro though before the break, and with an hour on the clock the keeper stopped a Castro penalty after Varane was adjudged to have fouled Jorge Molina in the area. Adán and his defence frustrated Ronaldo a couple more times after that, and Sergio Ramos hit the foot of the post with another scissors kick, but with two minutes to go Bale ran through from midfield to wrap things up with an impressive shot which bent away from the keeper and went in off the near post.