Real Madrid dismantle Deportivo in confidence-boosting win

Real Madrid return to winning ways as the Champions League looms…

After last week’s disappointing home defeat to Villarreal, Real Madrid were desperate to make a statement of intent against Deportivo. An early goal by the visitors had the Bernabéu fearing further humiliation – but Zidane and his men were not to be denied. The deficit was overturned just before the half-time whistle, and a second-half blitz made it an enjoyable night for the crowd.

Gareth Bale was at the forefront of most of Real’s attacking play – which was vastly improved from recent weeks. There seemed to be more cohesion and fluidity while moving the ball forward, and the midfielders were more involved as a result. Even before going behind, the home side were far superior and were caught out largely due to a defensive error by Marcelo.

After Adrián’s 23^rd minute strike, Real Madrid retained their composure and continued to push forward. It paid off shortly after as a clinical finish from Nacho levelled the score-line in the 32^nd minute. The attacking barrage eventually bore more fruit and Los Blancos were ahead close to half-time through a fantastic goal from Bale.

In the second-half, Madrid channelled more of this vibrant energy and the chances flowed as a result. Bale got his second goal in the 58^th minute with a cracking header from a Toni Kroos corner. Ten minutes later, Luka Modric got in on the action after he latched on to a Ronaldo flick to curl one past the keeper.

Despite his positive influence on the game, Ronaldo was struggling to break his torrid luck in front of goal and the crowd could feel his anxiety peaking. A point-blank miss from eight yards even prompted roaring cheers from the fans as they looked to spur their talisman on.

The Portuguese forward responded with a quick-fire double, the second of which left him with a bloody face – forcing him to sit out the remaining minutes. Nacho rounded off the scoring in the 88^th minute with a brace of his own as the defender continues to thrive in Sergio Ramos’ absence.

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It was a welcome result for club faithful as the side managed to convince on the field and reduce their deficit with third-placed Valencia. More of the same will be expected of the team as the players clearly benefited from a return to the traditional 4-3-3 system. Benzema’s return from injury makes this change even more viable, while the highly-anticipated reunion of Madrid’s BBC trident can only benefit them going forward.