Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema were all
on the scoresheet as Real Madrid claimed a 3-0 victory over Espanyol
in a hard-fought encounter which also saw three players sent off
at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo opened the scoring with a twice-taken penalty in the first
half and then Higuain and substitute Benzema added two more in the
final 11 minutes.
Neither side finished the match with a full compliment of players,
with Madrid defender Pepe the first to be sent off in the 60th minute,
before Espanyol duo Ernesto Galan (63) and Juan Forlin (89) also
received their marching orders.
The result means Madrid now have 10 points from four games this
season under new coach Jose Mourinho, while Espanyol remain on six
points.
The final scoreline may have looked convincing but it was a far
from comfortable victory for the big-spending Spanish giants, who
struggled to get the better of a well-organised and disciplined
Espanyol side, especially early on.
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