Deportivo vs. Real Madrid: Score, Grades & Reaction from La Liga Game
Entering Saturday's match at the Estadio Riazor, Cristiano Ronaldo had not scored at the home ground of Deportivo La Coruna.
After the final whistle blew, the Real Madrid No. 7 could finally say he has, thanks to a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 8-2 victory over Deportivo.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 29th minute, as he rose above the defense to nod home his third goal of the La Liga campaign.
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The Portuguese player connected with a cross sent in from the right by Alvaro Arbeloa, who just a few minutes earlier was ignored on an overlap as Ronaldo sent a soaring shot high over the net.
Before Ronaldo could strike again, James Rodriguez delivered Los Blancos with his first goal in league play on a stunning effort from the left side of the field.
James perfectly curled his shot into the top right corner past German Lux to put the visitors up by two in the 36th minute.
Five minutes later, Ronaldo finished off a chaotic sequence, as he calmly pushed the ball into the net after Lux decided to come way off his line.
Lux darted out of the box to challenge Karim Benzema, and had the play been whistled dead, the Deportivo goalkeeper may have been sent off.
Instead of halting the game, the referee let play continue, which allowed Benzema to slot the ball over to Ronaldo.
Real Madrid went into the half with a comfortable three-goal lead, but they were handed a challenge at the start of second half by the hosts, who made two substitutions before the second stanza began.
Deportivo notched their first goal of the match from the spot in the 51st minute, as Haris Medunjanin beat Iker Casillas on a penalty shot.
The penalty was a controversial call, as the ball looked to strike the tucked-in left arm of Sergio Ramos, who was leaping in defense of an Isaac Cuenca header.
The home side did sustain a good amount of pressure for the first 15 minutes of the second half, but once Carlo Ancelotti inserted Asier Illarramendi into the match for Benzema, the pace of the game changed.
Illarramendi brought more stability to the midfield, and after his entrance, the visitors were able to put more chances on goal.
In the 66th minute, Gareth Bale put home the fourth strike for Real Madrid with a soft shot that bounced off the bottom of the right post.
Bale scored his second of the match eight minutes later on a beautiful chip over Lux after he received a strong through ball from Isco, who entered the match just a few minutes earlier.
Ronaldo finished off his hat-trick in the 78th minute with a laser of a strike from the left to right. The Portuguese player received a pass from James to seal the emphatic victory for his side.
Although Ronaldo was done scoring, both sides were otherwise not. Three more goals hit the back of the net before the final whistle blew.
Toche headed his 84th-minute strike past Casillas before Javier Hernandez scored his first Real Madrid goal in the 88th minute.
Hernandez scored an eighth right before the final whistle on a deflected shot to mark the first time Real Madrid have scored eight goals in an away league match.
The victory ended a two-game losing streak for Real Madrid, who fell to Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid early in the new league campaign.
Key Player Grades
Cristiano Ronaldo, F, Real Madrid: A
Ronaldo was at his best in the air in the 29th minute, as he showed his terrific aerial prowess on his first goal of the match.
He then scored his second after good combination with Benzema, and he netted his third on a trademark hard strike that Lux had no chance of stopping.
Iker Casillas, GK, Real Madrid: B-
Casillas had a steady day in net, but he guessed incorrectly on the penalty and was caught out of position on the late goal from Toche.
The Spaniard made three saves, but he will only be talked about because of the position he was in on the second Deportivo goal.
James Rodriguez, M, Real Madrid: B+
Not only was James dynamic in attack with a goal and an assist, but he also did solid work on the defensive side of the ball as well.
The Colombian was extremely active with a team-high 103 touches, per WhoScored.com, and he made four tackles on defense.
Post-Match Reaction:
"Ancelotti: We've scored 13 goals in two games, we've reacted well - http://t.co/3KGlTvOj5h pic.twitter.com/UGn4MkdpbS
— Inside La Liga (@InsideLaLiga) September 20, 2014"
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
