Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second hat-trick of
the season as 10-man Real Madrid ended a poor week with
a 6-2 victory over promoted rivals Rayo Vallecano -
although it was not all plain sailing for Jose Mourinho's
men.
Madrid came into the match in the spotlight having
picked up just one point from their away games at Levante
and Racing Santander and the title hopefuls could hardly
have had a worse start as poor defending saw them trailing
after just 14 seconds, Miguel Perez Cuesta the scorer.
Madrid seemingly put that dismal beginning behind them
with three goals in 13 minutes either side of half-time
through Ronaldo (two) and Gonzalo Higuain, but the hosts
soon found themselves with more problems.
Rayo pulled a goal back in the 55th minute and then
two minutes later Madrid lost Angel Di Maria to a second
yellow card.
That left Madrid facing a potentially crucial final
half-hour with a man less, knowing more dropped points
- especially at home - could be decisive come the end
of the season.
However, it was Mourinho's men who seemed to adapt
better to the dismissal as they netted three more times
to take the win, Raphael Varane, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo
- with his second penalty of the match to complete his
hat-trick - the goalscorers.
Mourinho had dismissed talk of crisis ahead of the
game but he knew Madrid could ill afford to slip up
again after taking just one point against Levante and
Racing and failing to find the net in either game.
But the Portuguese's confidence was beginning to look
a little misplaced as Rayo took the lead with the first
attack.
Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra gifted possession
away inside his own half and, after Casillas had pushed
Raul Tamudo's shot straight back out, Cuesta slotted
in the rebound.
Rayo came close to further embarrassing their hosts
in the 14th minute when Tamudo's shot was parried by
Casillas, before Madrid finally started to get going.
Mesut Ozil, who had replaced Diarra in the 29th minute,
brought a good save out of Dani Jimenez before Ronaldo
drew the teams level with a low left-footed shot through
Jimenez's legs.
Then, in first-half stoppage-time, Higuain made it
2-1, the Argentinian, who had seen a goal ruled out
for offside, tapping into an open goal after Sergio
Ramos had beaten Jimenez to Xabi Alonso's free-kick.
Michu gave Madrid a scare at the start of the second
half when he almost pulled a goal back, but when Ronaldo
made it 3-1 in the 51st minute from the penalty spot
after Kaka had been fouled by Jose Movilla, the home
side's troubles looked behind them.
However, a two-minute spell soon after but the result
back in doubt.
Firstly Rayo made it 3-2 when Cuesta slotted in at
the far post from a corner , and then moments later
Di Maria was handed his marching orders following an
intentional handball near the touchline.
Mourinho responded to that by replacing Kaka and Higuain
with Benzema and Sami Khedira, and the reshuffled Madrid
line-up quickly took the game by the scuff of the neck.
Alonso saw a free-kick tipped over but from the resulting
corner summer signing Varane somehow managed to turn
Ozil's cross into the roof of the net with his heel
after appearing to have overrun the ball.
Benzema then slotted in Madrid's fifth from the edge
of the area, before Ronaldo completed the scoring in
the 83rd minute with a dinked penalty down the centre
of the goal after he had been tripped trying to round
Jimenez.
That was the £80million man's second treble of
the season, to add to the seven he got last term.
|
