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Los Blancos approached the game with only a victory in their mindsReal Madrid picked up their fifth consecutive victory in all competitions as Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Jese Rodriguez all got on target to trample Sevilla 4-0 at the Bernabeu.Spurred by arch-rivals Barcelona’s stalemate at Villareal earlier in the day, Los Blancos approached the game with only a victory in their minds. Benzema’s early opener suggested it was going to be a long night for the rudderless visitors, who also missed a penalty in the first-half.Having missed a glut of chances in the opening stanza, the hosts more than made up for it by pumping in 3 goals after the break in a frantic half that also saw Ronaldo overhitting from the spot. However, that mishit mattered little as the Whites would cruise to a comfortable win that trims the gap at the top to 10 points.Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 Real Madrid should get more clinical
Although scoring 4 goals in a game against a side lying 5th in the table is commendable, but stats don’t tell the whole story. The number of times Real Madrid waltzed towards the box suggested a goal-fest may be on the cards, but they lacked the cutting edge to dispatch the chances that came their way.
Particularly in the opening 45 minutes, Los Blancos were pretty wasteful upfront. Whether it was hitting straight at the Sevilla ‘keeper or direct into the stands, the home side were misfiring for large spells of the half and could have killed the tie off otherwise.
They may have struck thrice after the break, but need not wait so long to put a tie to bed. With crucial games to Barcelona and Wolfsburg lined-up in quick succession following the international break, Real Madrid may not find many chances in those games and must learn to bury whatever chances come their way.
#2 Sevilla still poor away from home
They may boast an almost impeccable home record or even back-to-back Europa League titles for that matter, but Sevilla, strangely, have been poor away from home all this season. With no victories in 20 away games in all competitions, the Andalusians share the joint-worst away record of the season with Hellas Verona.
At the Bernabeu too, Los Nervionenses were found wanting and despite their best efforts, ended up conceding 4 goals without an answer. There were sparks of optimism in the first half when the visitors kept Real at arm’s length after the opening goal, but all their hard work was undone by an equally disappointing show after the break.
The Whites punished them for slackening off by firing 3 more goals, and it just summed up Sevilla’s away form for this term.
#3 Benzema continues to deliver amid turbulent times
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been tormented with a raft of on and off the field issues during this season. Whilst injuries robbed him off consistent playing time, it’s his problems outside the Bernabeu that is really doing a damage to his reputation.
Charged in the blackmail case involving his France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena, Benzema was then left out of the France team by Didier Deschamps. Despised by even the Prime Minister of France, the Frenchman was then alleged to be involved in drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
Long story short, all hell had broke loose on the 29-year old. But the positive part is, it has hardly affected his performance on the field. Benzema was on target again against Sevilla to take his tally to 20 in La Liga this season and continues to deliver despite the can of worms.
#4 Another feather in Bale\'s cap
With today’s goal, Gareth Bale is officially now the most prolific British player in the history of La Liga. The former Tottenham Hotspur maestro has struck 43 times in the Spanish top-flight, taking him past English legend Gary Linekar’s long-standing record.
The Welsh winger has been persistently plagued with calf problems this season that saw him spend almost 6 weeks on the sidelines thereby missing a handful of games, but still hasn’t lost his scoring touch. Since his return to the team 2 weeks ago, Bale has netted twice in 3 appearances and is currently enjoying a prolific year in Spain.
Today’s milestone etches his name in the Spanish folklore, and certainly there are many more such records in sight for Bale.
#5 Gamiero falls short when it mattered
Sevilla had been riding on their striker Kevin Gamiero’s fiery scoring prowess this season. The France international, with 13 goals to his name in the league, was doing a great job in trying to fill in the shoes of the departed Carlos Bacca, but against Real Madrid, when his credentials were needed the most, he came a cropper.
His raw speed and a keen eye for goal had made him one of the star performers of the campaign to an extent that he was touted to replaced the much-maligned Karim Benzema in the French national team at the upcoming Euros. So in a game of this magnitude, it was imperative for him to bring his A1 game to the fore and prove his mettle. But unfortunately, things panned out very differently.
A missed penalty, a wrongly disallowed goal and a toothless show in the final third, it was a day to forget for the player who is said to be the future star of France.
