Real Madrid went back to its old ways with a 5-0 demolition of Real Betis at the Estadio Bernebau on Sunday.
It did not take long for the hosts to hit the scoreboard, with Gareth Bale opening the scoring just prior to the two-minute mark with a superb header.
Then it was Colombian James Rodriguez’s turn to get his name on the scoresheet with a wonderfully struck free kick which cannoned in off the post. Frenchman Karim Benzema ensured his team had a 3-0 advantage heading in to half time.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the second term continued in the same fashion with Rodriguez’s stunning overhead making it four for the hosts.
The Welshman sealed the victory with a strong drive from outside the area to relieve the pressure on new coach Rafael Benitez’s shoulders.
Goal rout
It was inevitable that a result such as this would eventually arise for Los Galacticos but what was surprising is the vast variety of scorers. Notably, no mention of Cristiano Ronaldo. While he seemingly stole the limelight at various stages last season, the Portuguese star allowed his other compatriots to run the show.
Former coach Carlo Ancelotti created plays in favour of Ronaldo and/or Gareth Bale, which of course became predictable and in a sense easy to thwart for opposition teams, hence the several surprising results. However this victory highlighted Benitez’s desire to not only unify his squad but also his focus on winning rather than individual brilliance.
Yet in saying that, the performance of a certain Rodriguez has well and truly caught the attention of the media.
James Rodriguez, WOW
The Colombian international made headlines in 2014 for his performances in the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, which of course linked him with a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs; namely Los Blancos.
Rodriguez has had several influential performances for Los Galacticos but was in the opinion of many, under-utilised and made several appearances from the bench.
However his performance sent a strong message to the Spanish coach and highlighted his desire to be placed in the starting XI for as many games as possible.
The 24-year-old scored a double and set up another in Real’s 5-0 thumping of Real Betis and it is clear that his growing talent is another asset for the Spaniards and should not be wasted on the bench.
Great view of James Rodriguez free kick from the Bernabéu stands. pic.twitter.com/J45IfP0HuP
— Just Football (@JustFutball) August 30, 2015
The battle between Keylor Navas and David De Gea
Preseason would be nothing without a small amount of media speculation and often at times fictional press articles. In fact all preseason, questions have arose regarding the future of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea. It seemed as though he was set to remain at the Red Devils with coach Louis van Gaal guiding him.
Yet it was Real who persisted and look set to finally seal a £29 million transfer for the Spaniard. While it is another notch in the Madrid wheel, what will become of current first-choice goalkeeper Keylor Navas? His performance against Betis was spectacular, so much so it included screaming ovations from the crowd.
Yet will his key performances be enough to withstand the force that is De Gea? Only time will tell.
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