Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez upstaged Cristiano Ronaldo this evening as Real Madrid defeated Real Betis 5-0 to give Rafael Benitez his first win in charge of Los Blancos.
After a goalless draw against Sporting Gijon last weekend, Madrid wasted no time in opening the scoring at the Bernabeu as Bale picked up an inviting cross from Rodriguez to head past Antonio Adan from close range after just 94 seconds.
Former Madrid keeper Adan kept out first-half efforts from Karim Benzema and Ronaldo, before Rodriguez turned from provider to finisher on 37 minutes with a powerful free kick from a tight angle.
Betis struggled to create chances in the first half, but Ruben Castro almost pulled a goal back before the break, only for Keylor Navas to make a crucial stop.
The hosts began the second half as quickly as they had the first, as rumoured Arsenal target Benzema scored his first goal of the season after meeting a right-wing cross from Bale.
Madrid did not hang around before adding another goal for the home supporters, as Rodriguez fired an overhead kick past Adan after Betis had failed to clear their lines.
Benitez's side were almost in complete control of the match, but the visitors were awarded a golden opportunity to get on the scoresheet on 60 minutes when Raphael Varane closed Jorge Molina off without the ball inside the penalty area. Castro took the spot kick, but Navas guessed correctly to keep a clean sheet.
Sergio Ramos came close to scoring a fifth goal for Madrid on 77 minutes with an acrobatic attempt from a tight angle, only for his effort to strike the woodwork.
There was still time for a fifth goal though, and Bale added his second of the night on 89 minutes with a 25-yard strike that hit the inside of the post before finding the back of the net.
Stephen Topping
