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After a weekend of being off and recovering from the loss in El Clasico, it seems like Real Madrid took out their frustration and anger on Granada. Real Madrid came back from a 2-1 loss against rivals FC Barcelona, outscoring Granada 9-1 in which three goals came in the span of eight minutes thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo helped Los Merengues win today’s game by scoring five goals, seeing Ronaldo break another record for Real Madrid. Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale were also able to get on the score board as Bale shut out critics once again by opening the scoreboard for Real Madrid. Another person we got to see on the field after being absent for two months due to a foot injury was James Rodriguez, who looked in great form and was a key player for Carlos Ancelotti’s team. He was able to give great passes and assist Ronaldo in his first goal.
The first chance came in the 21st minute when Benzema provided Marcelo with a pass on the left flank and Marcelo crossed it in to connect with Alvaro Arbeloa, who had an open net and as he went for goal he missed the opportunity to put Real Madrid up in the scoreboard.
It was Bale though on the 25th minute that opened the score for Madrid when a pass from Toni Kroos went past defender Diego Mainz and Bale was able to recover the ball. He went one on one against the goalkeeper, rounded the keeper and with an open net ran the ball to the danger zone to make it 1-0.
The second goal came in the 30th minute and this is where it all started for Ronaldo. Kroos again got a nice cross inside the box to Benzema, who brought it down with his chest. Rodriguez got the recovery, found Ronaldo on his left and Ronaldo went for shot as it got past goalkeeper Oier Olazabal to make it 2-0.
It was 3-0 by the 35th minute when Ronaldo connected well with Marcelo who then crossed it inside the box and tipped off Olazabal which landed right in front of Ronaldo and went for goal to get his second of the match.
Ronaldo got his hat trick in the 38th minute when a pass from Rodriguez allowed him to get control of the ball and no one defending him and went for goal just outside the box and past Olazabal to make it a 4-0 game.
Benzema made it a 5-0 game on the 52nd minute when a corner kick taken by Rodriguez landed right in from of him, who brought the ball down with his chest and with three defenders surrounding him, was able to get it past goalkeeper Olazabal.
Two minutes later, it was Marcelo again who started the play for Ronaldo’s fourth goal. He found Bale on the right side of the field and as Bale brought it down with his left foot, he chipped over Olazabal and Ronaldo was able to head it in to make it 6-0.
Not a minute later, Benzema made it a 7-0 game when Luka Modric provided him a pass inside the box past it back to Bale who chipped it back to Benzema and was able to bring the ball down with his chest. Benzema then took on three defenders and was able to get it past Olazabal who looked just in poor for and not being able to do anything about the play.
Granada was able to get one goal on the 74th minute when Ibanez got a great ball, beat Rapahel Varane and Sergio Ramos to it, and finished calmly as he cut to the left and got it past Iker Casillas to make it 7-1.
As if things couldn’t be any worse for Granada, Diego Mainz made it 8-1 as a cross from Bale was coming to Ronaldo but instead Mainz beat him to it and put it into his own net.
On the 88th minute, Ronaldo got his fifth and final goal of the match as a cross from Kroos on a free kick connected with Ronaldo as he was able to jump over the whole defense and head it in to make it 9-1.
With this win Real Madrid sits in second place and still four points behind FC Barcelona with 67 points. Ronaldo also surpassed Lionel Messi for the Pichichi title as he now has 36 goals for the season, four more than Messi and also gets the man of the match for his hat trick and contribution to the team. Real Madrid face Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday as Granada faces Celta Vigo the same day.
Photo by: Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press