Real Madrid vs. Espanyol: Winners and Losers from La Liga
Real Madrid moved to within a point of second place in the Liga table on Sunday by wiping the floor with Espanyol 6-0 at the Bernabeu.
Karim Benzema started the rout with a good header inside eight minutes, and before you could blink, Real Madrid had added two more—a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo and a deflected strike from James Rodriguez.
Ronaldo scored what was probably his best goal of the season shortly before half-time to compound the superiority and then sealed his hat-trick in the second period. Oscar Duarte's own goal, forced by good work from Jese, made it six.
"Barca are doing well, winning, but we must keep working. We are behind, but accounts done at end of season," Ronaldo said of the title race after the game, per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan. They sit four points off the top spot still.
Here, Bleacher Report picks its winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid
1 of 5
Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick on Sunday was rather impressive. Say what you want about his supposed decline or reduced impact in the big games, but when you score this many—consistently—against the lesser sides, you will always be a key asset.
It was his second goal that really caught the eye, as he skipped inside three markers by popping the ball through his own legs twice, before smashing home a vicious left-footed effort from 18 yards.
That's eight goals for Ronaldo against Espanyol this season alone.
Winner: James Rodriguez, Real Madrid
2 of 5
James Rodriguez needs to seize his opportunities while Gareth Bale is injured; it is imperative he uses this time as a springboard to vault back into Real Madrid's XI.
When he came on against Sporting Gijon earlier this month, he looked rusty and ended up injuring Karim Benzema by kicking him in the box while attempting to shoot. But the Rodriguez we saw against Espanyol was dynamic, hardworking and flashy; he was everything you'd expect him to be.
His cross for Benzema's opener was an absolute beauty; he bagged one himself via a heavy deflection and was masterful in the build-up to Ronaldo's third.
Loser: Espanyol
3 of 5
Espanyol were doomed from the beginning of this game. They started slowly and allowed Real Madrid to take control, and the first goal saw Karim Benzema get between the two centre-backs to head home.
Poor tracking and marking were hallmarks of Espanyol's 90-minute performance, with every Madrid attacker finding himself in space in the box for a chance at one stage or another. It was a lesson in how getting the basics wrong can lead to heavy defeats.
It was a bizarre decision for manager Constantin Galca to give goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis his debut at the Bernabeu—nothing sparks confidence like a 6-0 rollicking—and it must have been quite the shock to the system for the Lithuanian; he was last seen flapping at every cross into the box in November at Villa Park while playing for Watford.
The other new boy, Oscar Duarte, was substituted on at half-time—down 4-0—and scored an own goal to make it six late on.
Winner: Marcelo, Real Madrid
4 of 5
Marcelo was an absolute force on Sunday evening for Real Madrid. Liberated almost entirely from his defensive duties and allowed to bomb forward regularly, he heavily influenced play over the course of 90 minutes.
When he plays well and pushes on, Real Madrid tend to click offensively, and the 4-0 scoreline at half-time was a testament to how well the team—partially engineered by their Brazilian left-back—were linking in the final third.
Marcelo roamed, created, dribbled and penetrated. There were times in the second half he was found in the No. 9 position, sniffing out goal-scoring chances for himself to crown an immaculate display.
Winner: Keylor Navas, Real Madrid
5 of 5
There were several other options for our final winner's spot—including the magisterial Luka Modric, the ever-impressive Karim Benzema and the irrepressible Isco—but, going against the grain a little, we opted to honour Keylor Navas.
His concentration levels are to die for; he does nothing for 15 minutes and then comes up with a huge save to preserve a clean sheet. He did this four or five times on Sunday, springing into action to smother the odd clear-cut chance. He made a few stops directly after Real Madrid goals, ensuring the momentum stayed in the hosts' favour.
Missing out on David de Gea last summer was a blow, and it's no secret he's still a long-term target for the club, as the Sunday People recently reported, but Navas boasts as safe a pair of hands as you'll find.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
