Real Madrid ensured they will head into a big week full of confidence with a 5-0 thrashing of Levante ahead of their meetings with Liverpool and Barcelona.
Cristiano Ronaldo stretched his fine scoring streak at club level to nine games yesterday as he opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Javier Hernandez headed home to double Madrid's lead before half-time.
Ronaldo powered home his 15th league goal in just seven appearances this season to make it 3-0 before sweet finishes from James Rodriguez and Isco rounded of a seventh consecutive win for the European champions.
Madrid lie just a point adrift of leaders Barcelona, with the Catalans facing Eibar at Camp Nou late on Saturday.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti is hoping Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos will be able to overcome their respective injury problems for the trip to Anfield on Wednesday.
“I think we are arriving well into this week. We had a difficult game to prepare here, but we played very well and seriously. We were very concentrated and it all went well,” Ancelotti said.
“Now we have time to recover some players, and then think about the game on Wednesday.”
Despite missing a host of first-team players, the visitors could have put the game to bed inside the first 15 minutes as Ronaldo was uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal.
The Portuguese captain sliced wide with just Diego Marino to beat after a wonderful through ball from Luka Modric and then pulled another shot wide from the edge of the box moments later.
Ronaldo was not to be denied on 12 minutes as Hernandez was tripped inside the area by Juanfran and the world player of the year slammed home the resulting penalty.
“It is impossible to do more than what [Ronaldo] does,” Ancelotti said. “He has to keep this up and we are going to help him.”
Madrid made sure of the three points seven minutes before half-time as Rodriguez’s in-swinging cross was turned home from close range by Hernandez to register his third goal for the club.
Ancelotti’s men stepped up a gear after the break and put the seal on another comfortable victory with three goals of pure quality.
Ronaldo doubled his tally for the afternoon as he latched onto Isco’s through ball and cut inside two Levante defenders before firing past Marino.
Rodriguez then produced a stunning piece of control as he took Toni Kroos’s lofted pass on his chest before volleying home on his favoured left foot to make it four.
There was still one moment of brilliance to come from the visitors as Isco again broke through midfield and this time went alone to drill the ball into the top corner for his first goal of the season.
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