First Division - Day 3

Espanyol 0 - Real Madrid 6

Espanyol: Pau López; Arbilla, Alvaro González, Ciani (Paco Montañés 46‘), Duarte; Salva Sevilla, Javi López (Cañas 46‘), Víctor Sánchez (Joan Jordán 65‘), Víctor Alvarez; Gerard Moreno, Caicedo. 4-4-2.
Madrid: Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos (Varane 75‘), Marcelo; Modric (Kovacic 56’), Casemiro; Isco, Bale, Ronaldo; Benzema (Lucas Vázquez 63’). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 07. Ronaldo. Picked up long Modric pass and steered angled shot past Pau.
0-2. 17. Ronaldo (penalty). After Alvaro bundled over Bale inside the penalty area.
0-3. 20. Ronaldo. Got on the end of Bale’s cross to turn ball in on far the post.
0-4. 28. Benzema. Turned shot in on far post after Ronaldo crossed in from left.
0-5. 61. Ronaldo. Fired shot past keeper from Bale centre following break-away.
0-6. 81. Ronaldo. Connected with Lucas Vázquez cross to turn shot past keeper.

Yellow cards: Alvaro 16’, Benzema 36’, Cañas 66’, Kovacic 69’.

Real Madrid are up to second in the table after thrashing Espanyol 0-6 in the first match on Saturday afternoon, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring no less than five of his side’s goals. The Portuguese striker hadn’t got off the mark this season, but although the hosts had the better of the opening play, Ronaldo ran on to Modric’s long pass to open the scoring with only seven minutes on the clock. With just over a quarter of an hour gone he added a second from the penalty spot after Alvaro bundled over Bale in the area, and three minutes later he completed his second hat-trick in a row in the Cornellà stadium after Bale set him up. Soon afterwards Ronaldo turned provider when he crossed in for Benzema to make it four, and Benzema himself came close to a fifth when he hit the post just before the break. Espanyol were in disarray, and although Keylor Navas had to save from Gerard after the interval, Ronaldo added two more, the first after Bale and Isco combined on a quick counter-attack, and the second after substitute Lucas Vázquez crossed in from right of the area. Rafa Benítez was a happy man.