Super Ronaldo relights Real smiles

Stuttering Spanish giants Real Madrid appeared to hit form at the right time, with a thumping 5-1 home win over Deportivo de La Coruna ahead of next weekend’s “clasico” against bitter rivals Barcelona. 

Real v Deportivo was until recently among La Liga’s most intriguing fixtures, with Depor earning plaudits for punching above their weight and often being up among the title contenders.

But with the Galician team rebuilding after returning to the top flight only this season, the fixture seemed to have lost some of its traditional glamour. However, Real’s dreadful start to their league campaign reinjected a real sense of urgency to this game.

Jose Mourinho’s side began their title defence with performances that were unrecognisable from last term, which saw them take the league by storm with a record 121 goals. They went into the Depor match having lost twice in five games, matching the number of defeats they suffered during the whole of last season.

So, it seemed likely that Mourinho’s men were facing a tougher task than expected, especially as Deportivo had only lost one of their opening five games back in the topflight after a season in the second tier.

None of that concern showed on the faces of the Real fans, though. The atmosphere around the giant Bernabeu stadium ahead of the kick-off was bustling as ever, with long queues for tickets and thirsty fans swamping the bars around the stadium. Souvenir kiosks selling everything from club jerseys to stationery sets were also doing brisk business.

The two sets of players took to the field with Real’s team song thundering from the loudspeakers. A similar ritual occurs at Barcelona’s Camp Nou but there is a significant difference. While most Barca fans sing along, few Real supporters do the same. 

After the pre-kick-off formalities, Spain’s Olympic sailboarding champion Marina Alabau took the applause as she ceremonially kicked the ball in the centre circle. 

When the game eventually got underway, it was Real who quickly asserted their authority. They made light of the absence of Spain international midfielder Xabi Alonso, who found himself left on the bench by coach Jose Mourinho, who had one eye on the Champions League tie away to Ajax in midweek.

Real’s only major summer signing, Luka Modric, took Alonso’s place in central midfield alongside Germany’s Sami Khedira and was tasked with linking the defence with the attack.

Real’s players were noticeably superior in terms of individual technique. But they were sometimes caught out showboating when just a simple pass would have yielded a better end product.

And they were caught napping when Depor took a shock lead against the run of play via Riki’s effort from their first and only real chance in the opening half. Madrid fans, who had been happily chatting and snacking, quickly turned their attention from lips to pitch.

Real quickly hit back, with Cristiano Ronaldo converting a spot kick awarded for a foul on Argentine winger Angel di Maria seven minutes later. Di Maria then got himself on the score sheet before Ronaldo scored his second and the team’s third just before half-time, heading home a rebound from Sergio Ramos’s shot.

Into the second half, Mourinho introduced Alonso, who last week signed as Thai Yamaha Motor’s brand ambassador, for the last half-hour. The former Liverpool player quickly got involved by thumping a cross from a free-kick for Pepe to head past a hapless keeper. Ronaldo then rounded off the scoring and ensured his place in the headlines by securing his 15th La Liga hat-trick with another spot kick.

The outcome flattered for Real, whose play lacked cohesion and fluency, but a win by whatever means was crucial for Mourinho’s side as they enter a pivotal week which concludes with a trip to Camp Nou on Sunday.