Madrid: Kiko Casilla; Danilo, Pepe (Marcelo 53’), Nacho, Arbeloa; Kovacic (Cheryshev 76’), Casemiro, Isco; James (Jesé 65’), Benzema, Ronaldo. 4-3-3.
Malmö: Wiland; Tinnerholm, Carvalho, Arnason, Yotún; Rakip (Kroon 76’), Lewicki, Adu, Sana (Mehmeti 64’); Rosenberg, Berget, Djurdjic (Rodic 46’). 4-4-2.
Goals:
1-0. 12. Benzema. Fired rebound into net after Yotún blocked Isco shot on line.
2-0. 24. Benzema. Got above marker to head Ronaldo cross wide of Wiland.
3-0. 39. Ronaldo. Struck wide free kick round defensive wall inside far corner.
4-0. 47. Ronaldo. Turned ball in from close up after Danilo shot deflected to him.
5-0. 49. Ronaldo. Picked up Danilo centre and fired angled shot past keeper.
6-0. 59. Ronaldo. Got on the end of Isco cross to turn shot wide of Wiland.
7-0. 70. Benzema. Drove shot back past Wiland after keeper cleared Jesé centre.
8-0. 74. Benzema. Struck shot wide of keeper after Isco won ball outside area.
Real Madrid were already sure of finishing first in their group, but they beat Malmö by a massive 8-0 in their last group game to silence their critics. Once again there were some boos from the crowd after it was confirmed that the club had been thrown out of the Spanish cup, particularly when Rafa Benítez’s name came up on the screen before kick-off (even though it was not really his fault that they had included an illegible player in that match). But as had happened in the weekend game against Getafe, two early goals from Benzema changed the mood in the stadium. After that though Ronaldo took over proceedings, the Portuguese forward scoring no less than four goals in a twenty minute period either side of half time to take his tally in the group stage to eleven, two more than his own previous record. With half an hour still to go it was then a question of how many they could score, and Kovacic made it seven before Benzema completed his own hat-trick after Isco set him up. Benítez then brought on “the offender” Cheryshev in a sign of reconciliation, and for the first time in a long time Madrid started to look like a team rather than a group of individuals, a sign that the recent adversity may have strengthened their resolve. No more goals after that, but still a result which matched the best ever in the Champions League, curiously set by Liverpool when Benítez himself was their coach and Arbeloa was in the line-up!