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| Cristian Ronaldo; 200 goals for Real Madrid |
Real Madrid played their penultimate home league match against Malaga and were looking to extend their excellent run of 42 matches unbeaten in the Bernabeu. The Whites did not speculate against the Champions League quarter-finalists and showed their credentials in the very first moments of the match. In fact, inside three minutes they already had their first goal on the scoreboard. Modric’s corner was met by Albiol who put the ball in the back of net with a header. Things were going well with what was the Spanish international’s first goal of the season.
The first goal on the scoreboard came from a corner, as did Malaga’s equaliser in the 15th minute. Lugano flicked on at the near post and Santa Cruz headed in with ease in front of goal. The goal spurred on the home side, which had three good chances to go ahead in the following five minutes. All of those had Ronaldo, captain on the night, at the centre of them. The first, in the 17th minute, ended with a deflected shot from the Portuguese from near the penalty spot. The second, saw Lugano’s boot prevented the Portuguese from scoring a minute later from in front of the goal following a pass from Benzema. The third, and clearest, came after Sergio Sanchez’s sending following a clear foul on Ronaldo inside the box. Caballero was inspired against the Portuguese’s penalty in the 21st minute and saved the shot with his foot. In the following play the visitors' goalkeeper had to be treated after Camacho had drawn Gil Manzano’s attention to the injury. The indirect free taken five minutes later, in which Xabi Alonso rolled the ball to one side before Cristiano Ronaldo, undisputed star of the previous quarter of an hour, finished masterfully. A great way to reach 200 goals for Real Madrid in all competitions.
The Whites’ show was not yet over and, where as the first three goals came from set pieces, two of them for Real Madrid, the following came from a counter-attack. It came following some footballing luck that Real Madrid brilliantly took advantage of. Benzema made the pass in the 33rd minute and Ozil, after a spectacular cut inside against Antunes, put the ball beyond Caballero, who was taken off injured to an ovation with five minutes of the remaining of the half. Although it might have seemed impossible there was still time for two more goals, one per team. Antunes reduced the deficit in the 36th minute with a nice shot from the edge of the area and Benzema, in added time, beat Kameni after an unselfish pass from Cristiano Ronaldo, who was one-on-one with the Cameroonian goalkeeper.
The first half was exciting and fans in the Santiago Bernabeu could only take a break when the players headed to the dressing room. They had seen six goals in 45 minutes, some of them of great, a sending off and a penalty. Spectacular. The fifth came from Modric in the second half. His left footed shot from just outside the area hit the inside of the post before sneaking into the visitors’ goal in the 63rd minute. Di Maria added the final flourish in added time after a pass from debutant Fabinho against a Malaga team playing with two players less following the sending-off of Demichelis for a second yellow. Six goals and as many different scorers in front of a devoted Bernabeu crowd.
Summary
Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Attendance: 55,000
Goals: 1-0 min.2 Albiol, 1-1 min.15 Santa Cruz; 2-1 min.26 Cristiano Ronaldo; 3-1 min.33 Özil; 3-2 min. 36 Antunes; 4-2 min.46 Benzema; 5-2 min. 63 Modric; 6-2 min. 91 Di Maria.
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