Real in seventh heaven as Ronaldo, Bale crush Sevilla
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Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick and Gareth Bale became the fifth British player to score for Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in La Liga when he struck twice in an action-packed 7-3 win over Sevilla on Wednesday.
Making his first home start for the Spanish club, Bale also conjured two assists in a performance that will help dispel doubts about the 100 million euro (US$138 million) winger’s form and fitness since his record move from Tottenham Hotspur.
France striker Karim Benzema, who has been struggling to find the net for both club and country, also helped himself to two goals as third-placed Real closed to within two points of Atletico Madrid ahead of its game at Granada yesterday.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team looked far from convincing at times and let Sevilla back into the match after taking an early 3-0 lead but what eventually became a rout was a welcome boost after Saturday’s 1-2 defeat at Barcelona.
Sevilla played the final quarter of an hour with 10 men after midfielder Stephane M’Bia was shown a second yellow card for catching substitute Luka Modric with a flailing arm and it was the first time in almost 50 years that 10 goals were scored in a La Liga match at the Bernabeu.
“It was quite a strange game with the amount of goals and everything that happened, some of the decisions, but we got the three points,” Real midfielder Xabi Alonso, who came on as a second-half substitute after a lengthy injury absence, said.
Bale’s preseason preparations were disrupted by the protracted negotiations over his move and the 24-year-old has gradually been working his way back from a thigh strain in recent weeks.
Sevilla is 10th on 13 points, the same as 11th-placed Valencia which surrendered a 1-0 advantage to lose 1-2 at home to Almeria, the bottom club’s first win of the campaign.
Real Sociedad also blew a lead when it went 2-0 ahead at Real Valladolid before the mid-table clash ended 2-2.
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