MADRID – Real Madrid enjoyed a surprisingly easy win at home on Saturday, beating Sevilla 5-0 in their last game of La Liga before flying out to the World Club Championships.
The game between the 4th and 5th ranked sides had been expected to be a close affair, but it never was after the third minute when Nacho Fernandez put Real Madrid ahead from close range following a corner.
Cristiano Ronaldo, having paraded his five Balon d”Or in the Bernabeu before the game, doubled Madrid’s lead converting in a Marco Asensio pass after 23 minutes and added a third soon afterwards from the penalty spot after Jesus Navas had committed handball.
The fourth goal came in the 37th minute when Tony Kroos was given time and space to score with a low shot and the fifth goal of a great first 45 minutes for Madrid and a disastrous first half for Sevilla, came in the 43rd minute when young full back Achraf Hakimi scored his first goal for the club after being set up by Karim Benzema.
Real Madrid were without Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Dani Carvajal and Rafael Varane, and Sevilla were expected to cause them problems in defense, but Sevilla, who reached the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday, produced an indolent display.
Sevilla haven’t won in the Bernabeu since the 2008-2009 season.
With the game over as a contest, both sides took their feet off the gas and as the half progressed Zinedine Zidane gave an opportunity to Marcos Llorente and Dani Ceballos, giving a well-deserved rest to Kroos and Luka Modric.