Zidane's dugout debut: five points of interest

Zinédine Zidane could hardly have wished for a better start to his life in the Real Madrid dugout, as he watched his side put five goals past Deportivo La Coruña at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday. UEFA.com's Richard Martin runs the rule over the former midfielder's coaching bow.

Evolution not revolution in selection
The new coach had declared in his presentation that he would not make wholesale changes and made just two adjustments from the last Madrid team to line up under Rafael Benítez, bringing in Isco for the suspended Mateo Kovačić and recalling Dani Carvajal in place of Danilo.

Turning to Isco – who had not started a league game for three months – and replacing him with James Rodríguez in the second half was an indication that Zidane is keen on employing a highly technical flair player to link midfield with the front three. Carvajal, meanwhile, made the most of his recall with a consistent performance at right-back and provided the cross for Gareth Bale's first.

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Search for balance a priority
Zidane had alluded to the need to strike a balance between defensive solidity and flowing attacking football and, despite the scoreline, there was evidence that he still needs to work on the former. Madrid only just edged Depor for possession and left large spaces between midfield and defence for the visitors, who were unable to make the most of them despite a strong start.

We also saw a lot of involvement from Marcelo and Carvajal on either wing, with Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo frequently swapping positions across the attack to keep the visitors guessing. With Bale and Benzema scoring five between them, that plan certainly paid off.

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Ronaldo lively despite a rare blank
The Portuguese forward, who Zidane had called "the team's soul" earlier in the week, was typically frustrated not to get on the scoresheet, but this was a far improved performance from him. As well as providing Bale with Madrid's third goal and laying the ground for Benzema to hammer in the fifth in injury time, the Portuguese had a total of ten attempts and struck the post.

Zidane has no doubt that his team's talisman will find a goal soon enough, remarking: "He always feels he has to score because that's what he likes to do, but I thought he played well. I'm sure he'll score in other games."

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Bale let loose
The Wales forward dashed concerns he was unsettled by the change in coach with a commanding performance, grabbing his second treble of the season. His first, rising to meet Carvajal's cross deep in the area, spoke of his power in the box, while his second, a smart side-footed finish, demonstrated his effectiveness at joining attacks from deep. His final goal was another header, this time from a Toni Kroos corner, extending his lead as the player with the most headed goals in the Liga this season.

Zidane was obviously pleased, saying: "Gareth can be very happy about what he did tonight. It is not easy to score three goals." But he also warned that he expects the Tottenham Hotspur man to do that each week. "Gareth just has to do what I've asked everyone else to do, defend without the ball and open the pitch up and play when we have it."

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A united Bernabéu shows appreciation
In the week before his return to the Bernabéu, the club shop started selling Madrid shirts with Zidane's name and famous No5 on the back, just one sign of the huge anticipation for his first game. Madrid fans gave their new coach a roaring approval when his name was read out before kick-off. This serene atmosphere continued throughout the 90 minutes and Zidane was grateful for the support.

"It pleased me a lot and you could really feel it," he said. "The fans were always behind the team. There was a good atmosphere and we have to continue and think about our next game. Our plan is to play good football and win games."