Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice either side of a Gareth Bale strike as Real Madrid ran out 3-0 winners over Getafe in La Liga on Sunday.
The Champions League winners were dumped out of the Copa del Rey following a 2-2 draw (4-2 on agg) defeat to Atletico Madrid on Thursday night, but bounced back immediately in La Liga on Sunday.
Getafe belied form which saw them enter the game without a win in eight league games, although Toni Kroos’ half-volley rattled the crossbar just before the break to signal Real’s intent.
Needing a win to guarantee top spot with Barcelona playing later in the day, Real eventually found their feet in the second half, with Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo tapping home after good work from James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema.
The Colombian also set-up the second, nodded home by Bale, before Ronaldo benefitted from another James assist, taking his tally for the season to 36.
Looking to put their Copa exit behind them, Madrid were quick out the blocks with Benzema and Marcelo going close in the opening stages.
Getafe gave them few troubles, but the visitors also struggled to find a breakthrough, despite their dominance of possession.
Benzema got behind the defence to square for Marcelo from the byline, but the Brazilian’s effort was well blocked by Emiliano Velazquez.
The lively French striker saw an angled shot denied by the legs of goalkeeper Jordi Codina, who also had to be alert to tip Isco’s speculative 30-yard strike over the bar nine minutes before the break.
Jorge Sammir fired high and wide for the hosts following a sweeping breakaway, but Madrid continued to dominate, with Kroos rattling the bar on the stroke of half-time.
Benzema and James tested Codina shortly after the break as Getafe’s defence gradually began to tire, with a breakthrough seemingly inevitable.
It eventually came in the 63rd minute as James and Benzema again combined down the left, allowing the Frenchman to hit the byline before pulling back to Ronaldo, who was left with a simple finish from eight yards.
It was no less than the visitors deserved and the lead was doubled three minutes later, when a superb teasing cross from James on the left was met by an onrushing Bale, who calmly headed home at the far post.
Ronaldo sent a fizzing free-kick just wide of Codina’s right-hand post, but did not have to wait long to double his tally, getting on the end of another brilliant cross from Madrid’s Colombian star to head home and seal a comfortable win for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Source: Goal