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Scoreline: Real Madrid 5 - 2 Real Sociedad
Goalscorers: Lucas Vazquez 1' Cristiano Ronaldo 27' 37' 80' Toni Kroos 34' Jon Bautista 74' Asier Illaramendi 83'
Cristiano Ronaldo, who turned 33 last week, scored 3, assisted one and slapped senescence in the face as Madrid prepared themselves for the midweek clash against Paris Saint-Germain with a dominant performance.
Vazquez scored as early as the 1st minute from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross to get the show on the road. Cristiano Ronaldo then scored in the 27th and 37th minutes to provide cushion to Zizou's men. His goals were separated by a beauty of a strike from Toni Kroos from right outside the box in the 34th.
Sociedad showed signs of life in the second half and Bautista finished off a gilt-edged opportunity afforded to them by Madrid's complacency. 6 minutes later, Gareth Bale's shot was parried by Geronimo Rulli and was tapped into the net by Ronaldo who completed his first hattrick of the year and it could have hardly come at a better time for Los Blancos.
Asier Illaramendi slotted home against his former club in the 83rd minute and it turned out to be inconsequential as Madrid cruised to a much-needed home victory.
Here are the 5 talking points from the game:
#5 Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio provide much-needed width
Zidane rested Gareth Bale, Casemiro and Isco as he let his side warm-up for the high-profile Champions League midweek clash against PSG. The Madrid gaffer decided to deploy Vazquez and Asensio on the wings and it worked to great effect for them.
Vazquez and Asensio showcased their explosive pace and understanding of the game as Sociedad struggled to catch a break.
Lucas Vazquez took the lead for United in the very first minute and kicked on from there to assist Toni Kroos for his goal. The Spaniard was responsive to his team's needs and often pushed high up the pitch and didn't shy away from contributing defensively either.
Marco Asensio was involved in almost every single goal that Madrid scored on the night. He was a right handful to deal with as he motored down the left flank at great speeds and was often unselfish when opportunities presented themselves.
Asensio's interplay with Marcelo and Ronaldo are reassuring signs for Real Madrid and they will hope that the duo can produce quality of the same level on a more consistent basis.
#4 Real Sociedad wait for too long before offering resistance
Keylor Navas had to adjust his feet for the first time in the match in the 73rd minute.That's when Jon Bautista opened the scoring for the visitors from their first shot on target.
Eusebio Sacristán Mena's men sat back from the get-go and invited pressure; something Real Madrid were feeling very generous about providing on the night.
However, Sociedad were expected to have a tough time at the Bernabeu given that they've only won once at Madrid's home ground since 1994.
They offered very little resistance to Real Madrid's attackers and Geronimo Rulli could have done nothing about any of the first 4 goals. Sociedad grew into the game once Madrid downed their tempo and the game saw a reversal of roles.
Real Sociedad, all of a sudden, looked comfortable in possession and were rightly rewarded with 2 goals. But after humbling Deportivo 5-0 last weekend, this result could have been hugely disappointing for them.
#3 Toni Kroos and Luka Modric run the show from midfield
As Casemiro was rested before the PSG clash, Kroos and Modric were left to pull the strings from midfield. The two midfield maestros were in zen mode as they got through the night with characteristic ease and grace.
The two complemented each other admirably on the night as they managed their defensive and attacking duties in tandem.
Toni Kroos had an excellent game and finished off sublimely from a Lucas Vazquez cut back to increase Madrid's lead to 3 goals.
Modric was composed in the heart of midfield and even played Ronaldo in on goal with an incisive through ball that cut through the heart of La Real's defence.
Their withdrawal in the second half saw Madrid relinquishing control of the game. The match stands as a testament to the class of the 2 midfielders and how important they will be in the Champions League, especially in their upcoming match against Paris Saint-Germain.
#2 Real Sociedad will want to avoid a poor spell of results following this
Eusebio Sacristan must have been feeling much better about his job and his team after their 5-0 thumping of Deportivo La Coruna last weekend. But their men looked defeated from the when the ref blew his whistle to kick things off at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Only 8 points clear of the relegation zone, Sociedad will love to have more of a cushion than that. The underachieving Sociedad are languishing in the 14th position and could find themselves sitting at 15th if Espanyol pocket all 3 points against Celta Vigo tonight.
Real Sociedad cannot afford to have negative results against Red Bull Salzburg and Levante this week if they are to feel better about themselves as a team and get back on their feet to see out the rest of the season without much trouble.
#1 This is the Cristiano Ronaldo we've been waiting to see
Ronaldo couldn't have found this form at a better time as Real Madrid host Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday in the Champions League. The Portuguese superstar was immense from the very first minute as he set up Lucas Vazquez for the first goal of the match with a left-footed cross.
Ronaldo went on from there to score a perfect hat-trick as he scored with his left foot, right foot and his head to round off a spectacular performance for Los Blancos.
His off the ball movements proved to be difficult to track down more often than not and it was his killer instincts that let him have his hattrick as Ronaldo pounced upon a parried Gareth Bale shot to complete the first perfect hat-trick of this La Liga campaign.
Ronaldo and Real Madrid will not want to get carried away, however, as they know that they will be facing a much better side in PSG who are even tipped to be favourites this time around.
Oh, by the way, Ronaldo relishes playing against Real Sociedad. The Real Madrid talisman has scored in each of his last seven games against La Real at the Santiago Bernabeu.
