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Real Madrid began their La Liga campaign with a convincing 3-0 win away to Deportivo la Coruna, with Los Blancos topping the table after the opening round.
Gareth Bale opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 20th minute, before Casemiro doubled the lead just 7 minutes later. Toni Kroos made the game safe in the 62nd minuted, but there was still time for Sergio Ramos to get himself sent off in injury time.
Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 Gareth Bale is back!
Granted, it's only been a game or two, but Zinedine Zidane's assertion that Gareth Bale has had the best pre-season (in terms of fitness) of his Real Madrid career was borne out by his performance tonight. The Welshman isn't the most involved player at the best of times due to his playstyle, but he was a thorn in Deportivo's side throughout.
The Welshman ended a run of 10 games without a goal for Real Madrid, his longest ever goal-drought, when he tapped into an empty net following Benzema's chipped assist.
If he can keep up his fitness, we could see the best season of the Welshman's career - a fact that ought to strike fear into the rest of La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
#2 Casemiro is more than just a destroyer
Those familiar with my work know that I'm a big fan of the Brazilian defensive midfielder...
Also Read: La Liga 2016/17: Casemiro, not Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's most important player
However, even putting personal biases aside, it's is clearly visible to all who care to look that Casemiro is adding to his game, although it is a bit of a misnomer, since the Brazilian has always had a flair for the attacking side of his game while in his younger days at Sao Paulo and the Brazilian youth teams.
Zinedine Zidane has reined the Brazilian in for the benefit of his Real Madrid teammates in the past couple of seasons, but what's been far more noticeable in the start to this campaign is that the Brazilian midfielder has been given the license to roam, which is why he was available in the 6-yard-box to tap in Marcelo's cross.
Expect more goals from him, Casemiro isn't done for the season.
#3 Pepe Mel could do some real damage with Lucas Perez
Within minutes of the game, Deportivo's players had laid into their Real Madrid counterparts with a couple of crunching tackles. This was no surprise - Pepe Mel has forged a side in his own image, and they're willing to graft and fight for every inch on the football pitch.
In fact, the 3-0 scoreline was a bit harsh on Depor, who threatened Madrid time and again, only for Florin Andone to undo all his hard work with a couple of glaring misses, especially when one-on-one with Keylor Navas. He compounded his misery by missing a penalty late in the game as well.
However, if the rumours are true and Lucas Perez is close to a return, then Deportivo can look forward to a season that is more than a scrap for survival. They have assembled their best team in a decade, and the combination of Lucas Perez profiting off the hard-working Andone could torment many a Liga defence.
#4 Sergio Ramos' nearly threw it all away, and then did
If there is a weakness in this all-conquering Real Madrid side, it is their captain's tendency to get himself sent off. In the 53rd minute of the game, he should have been given his marching orders for shoving Fabian Schar in the face, but was lucky to escape with a yellow card.
It was 2-0 and Real Madrid were strolling to victory - Ramos jeopardized all of Madrid's good work with a foolish show of anger, which could have cost them against a Depor side roared on by the Riazor.
Predictably, Ramos got his marching orders in injury time when he elbowed Borja Valle in the face while challenging for an aerial ball. Let me emphasize that for you *Injury time* *The score was 3-0*
Needless, but at least he wrote himself into the record books.
#5 Real Madrid may be stronger than last year
The score was 3-0, the game had been won, and then Dani Carvajal conceded a penalty with a lazy challenge. Zinedine Zidane went nuclear on the touchline, absolutely livid with his defender. This is a man who demands perfection and looks ever closer to achieving it.
What got lost amidst all the fanfare of Real Madrid's incredible goal-scoring streak (that is 69 games running now) and the league and European cup double was Madrid's tendency to concede. Theirs was always a leaky defence last year, but what was noticeable against Deportivo was Madrid's ability to shut shop in the second half.
There's a new found fluidity to this side that's slowly beginning to pass their opponents into submission, albeit in a more direct manner that Guardiola's Barcelona vintage. Real Madrid are improving, and that spells danger for the rest of Spain and in fact, the rest of Europe.
