Ronaldo rampant as Madrid put eight past Malmö
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
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Real Madrid 8-0 Malmö
Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals, setting a group stage record of 11, as the Whites equalled the biggest UEFA Champions League victory.
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- Real Madrid equal biggest victory in UEFA Champions League history
- Win matches Liverpool's 8-0 defeat of Beşiktaş in November 2007
- Cristiano Ronaldo scores four against Malmö, Karim Benzema three
- Eleven-goal Ronaldo is first player to manage double figures in group stage
- Round of 16 draw takes place at 12.00CET on Monday
Cristiano Ronaldo scored four times – becoming the first player to register double figures in a UEFA Champions League group stage in the process – and Karim Benzema a hat-trick as Real Madrid put eight past Malmö.
Despite having already secured top spot in Group A, there was no let-up from the Whites, who equalled Liverpool's competition-record victory from 2007/08 on a historic night at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Benzema got the ball rolling on 12 minutes, following in after Yoshimar Yotún had hooked Isco's effort off the line, and from then on the hosts showed the Swedish outfit no mercy.
The France forward doubled his tally midway through the first period, heading Ronaldo's cross past Johan Wiland. Ronaldo, however, was not to be denied and he killed the game as a contest six minutes before the break when he drilled in a low free-kick.
Two minutes after the restart a powerful run from Danilo led to Ronaldo's second after the full-back's shot was deflected into his path. The same players combined again as Ronaldo quickly completed his hat-trick, firing in from the Brazilian international's lay-off.
His fourth, and 11th of the 2015/16 group stage, came on the hour-mark following lovely interplay between Benzema and Isco. Mateo Kovačić got in on the act by emphatically scoring his first in Madrid colours 11 minutes later. Benzema completed Malmö's misery, and his treble, with a little over a quarter of an hour remaining.
Key player: Cristiano Ronaldo
The unplayable Portugal captain was involved in the first six Madrid goals.
Benzema is back
After starting the season with seven goals in eight club matches, Benzema sustained a hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven weeks. Restored to action on 21 November, the forward scored his first goals since the lay-off in Saturday's 4-1 triumph over Getafe and carried on where he left off tonight. His first two were predatory penalty-box finishes, his third a demonstration of confidence and composure. He also contributed to Ronaldo's fourth, feeding Isco with an impish back-heel.
Tight defensively
While their front line might get the headlines, this clean sheet was Madrid's fifth in six games in Group A despite the absence of regulars Raphaël Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Dani Carvajal.
Reaction
Rafael Benítez, Madrid coach
We have won five matches in a row, it's very important winning in Europe this way. We are getting good results, playing well. This victory must reinforce what we are doing. This is football and things change every week. I can only try to make the team play this way all the time, I can't change opinions [about me as a coach].
I've talked a lot with Benzema in recent days. He needed this performance and I think it will be good for him going forward. Cristiano is an ambitious player and seeing him always looking for more, is always inspirational for everybody.
Åge Hareide, outgoing Malmö coach
I feel horrible. It was such a horrible defeat. We are having problems right now – the Swedish league has finished and we are not playing many matches back home. We played against second-division teams in Sweden and then we came to Madrid. The weather in Sweden is not very good now ... I'm trying to give some explanations.
It's the same to lose 1-0 or 8-0, I don't mind. To lose is to lose. But we didn't play well tonight. We knew it was going to be difficult but we didn't expect to concede eight. We have played against some of the best teams in the world and this is very hard for a new team like ours. We were below our level individually and collectively. Yet we had incredible support from our fans.
We have played many matches and just one game can't make the difference. Of course it hurts to lose this way but you have to take it. Life goes on. I have already said goodbye to my players and now I'm going home. I told them they have done an impressive job.