Zinedine Zidane pleased with ‘concentrated’ Real Madrid as dream start continues

Real Madrid delivered a 5-1 win to new manager Zinedine Zidane on Sunday in La Liga, though it came with knocks to Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane encourages his side during their La Liga win over Sporting Gijon on Sunday. Emilio Naranjo / EPA / January 17, 2016

Zinedine Zidane's dream start to life as Real Madrid manager continued as the hosts scored four times in the opening 18 minutes on their way to a 5-1 rout of Sporting Gijon on Sunday.

However, their joy at the Bernabeu was tempered as Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema both had to be replaced due to injuries. Bale had to come off for what looked like another calf problem while Benzema suffered a foot injury and was also substituted.

Bale, who scored with a seventh-minute header to start the eventual rout for Madrid, limped out shortly before half-time with his side leading 5-0.

Bale has already been sidelined twice this season with calf problems, missing about two weeks each time.

The 26-year-old Wales forward has been in good form in recent weeks and his goal against Gijon was his 13th in the league this season.

Benzema, who netted a first-half double, hobbled off with about 25 minutes left after hurting his foot in a collision with teammate James Rodriguez.

“What Karim has is a knock,” manager Zidane told a news conference later, with Cristiano Ronaldo also scoring twice.

“Bale’s injury is more complicated,” the new coach added, in charge of his second game after replacing the sacked Rafa Benitez. “Let’s wait for the scan. We hope it’s nothing serious.”

Ronaldo and Benzema are La Liga's leading marksmen this season with 16 goals apiece, one more than Barcelona pair Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Madrid have now scored 35 goals in six games at home since losing to 4-0 to Barcelona in November. “We played very well in the first-half. We were concentrated and up for the game from the start. We prepared well and are happy with how the match went,” Zidane said.

Having thrashed Deportivo la Coruna 5-0 in his managerial bow last weekend, Zidane made just one change with Raphael Varane replacing injured captain Sergio Ramos.

Meanwhile, Gary Neville's winless streak as Valencia manager in the Spanish top flight stretched to six games as they managed a 2-2 draw with Paco Alcacer's late strike at home to relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano.

Valencia were heavily favoured to end a two-month run without a league win against a Rayo side who have lost six of their last seven league games – conceding 23 goals in the process.

However, the visitors dominated the opening 45 minutes and were given a deserved lead when Jozabed swept home Adrian Embarba’s cross on the volley.

Neville had opted for Alvaro Negredo over top-scorer Alcacer in attack, and the former Manchester City striker repaid that faith in sensational style when he fired home from just inside the Rayo half to get Valencia back into the game 10 minutes after the break.

Rayo took advantage of some more poor defending from Valencia, though, to retake the lead when a Diego Llorente looped shot from Jozabed’s corner left Australian goalkeeper Mat Ryan helpless.

Alcacer replaced Negredo for the final 25 minutes and thought he had scored the equaliser five minutes from time when he was wrongly flagged offside.

However, he was not to be denied his 10th goal of the season moments later when he bundled home Zakaria Bakkali’s cross.

Despite the late drama, Valencia remain closer to the relegation zone than the Uefa Champions League places, still 16 points behind Villarreal in fourth and eight ahead of Rayo.

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