Real Madrid vs. Ludogorets: Score, Grades, Reaction from Champions League

Real Madrid recorded a routine 4-0 win over Ludogorets Razgrad on Tuesday, finishing the group stages of the UEFA Champions League with a perfect record and grabbing their 19th consecutive win in the process.      

Ludogorets still had a chance of qualifying for the Europa League and showed a willingness to play for a result at the Bernabeu, giving the hosts plenty of space to operate in.

Cristiano Ronaldo took an awkward shot from well outside the box that appeared to be going wide, but Vladislav Stoyanov didn't take any chances, punching it out for a corner. Gareth Bale connected with the delivery, but his effort flew high over the crossbar.

The Wales international looked lively early on, dazzling the crowd with a series of dribbles, via The Madridistas:

On the other side of the pitch, Marcelinho was given far too much space to advance with the ball, and his deflected shot ended up in the arms of Keylor Navas. The Bulgarians kept moving forward, and Stoyanov needed to be on point to block a cross from Bale on the counter-attack.

Asier Illarramendi serviced Isco beautifully, and Stoyanov needed to produce a fine stop to parry his dipping shot. Ronaldo had a crack on goal before Virgil Misidjan tested Navas with a pretty curler.

Just as it looked the visitors were settling down, a header from Raphael Varane was cleared off the line by Marcelinho, who clearly used his arm. Bale scored in the follow-up, but the official blew the whistle nonetheless and dismissed the Ludogorets man.

Ronaldo stepped up and lifted the ball past the diving Stoyanov, scoring his 75th goal in Europe, via Infostrada Sports:

Los Blancos should have doubled their advantage immediately, after Toni Kroos' parried effort fell to Ronaldo. Stoyanov blocked the shot on the line and Javier Hernandez wildly put the ball over the bar from close range.

The pace of the match understandably slowed down following the red card, and it took until the 38th minute for Real to score again. Bale connected with a corner and the ball hit the bottom of the bar before going over the line. According to Real Madrid TV's Phil Kitromilides, the goal presented a milestone for the Welshman:

Dani Abalo had a fantastic chance to pull one back for Ludogorets after a poorly cleared corner fell right at his feet, but he completely shanked the ball, blasting it well over Navas' goal.

The score remained 2-0 for the defending champions heading into half-time, and as shared by B/R Football, the hosts looked very comfortably throughout the half:

"

HALF-TIME: Real Madrid 2 Ludogorets 0—Comfortable stuff for the European champions. Goals from Ronaldo (pen) and Bale.

— B/R Football (@br_football) December 9, 2014"

Bale continued his fine play in the second half, following through on a great pass from Kroos and nearly poking the ball past Stoyanov. Svetoslav Dyakov tested Navas with an effort from range, but the Costa Rican was hardly troubled.

The visitors were the busier side, with Real happy to defend the lead and keep possession. Isco found Hernandez on the counter, but his shot toward the near corner was beautifully stopped by Stoyanov.

The hosts started subbing out some of the starters, and unsurprisingly, midfield maestro Kroos was given a standing ovation when he departed, via Kitromilides:

Alvaro Arbeloa provided one of the comic highlights of the night, pushing Ronaldo out of the way on a cross before directing his header onto the bar. The look on Ronaldo's face was priceless, to say the least.

He found his goal just minutes later, however, just getting the ball over the line from close range. As shared by AS English, the veteran first believed the goal wouldn't be given, leading to another funny situation:

Alvaro Medran was handed his Champions League debut, and the 20-year-old announced his arrival on the biggest stage with a goal of his own, although he was lucky to see the ball cross the line. His deflected shot went looping into the air and somehow landed beyond the horrified Stoyanov.

The Vine, via BlancoStats:

Ludogorets didn't deserve such a lopsided scoreline, as the final minutes went off without a hitch and the 4-0 final score remained on the board.

Player Grades

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Gareth Bale: A

No doubt the best man on the pitch, Bale could have ended his night with three goals if the penalty hadn't been given and his finishing had been a little better. Using his pace and dribbling skills to perfection, Ludogorets' defence simply had no answers for the Welshman.

Toni Kroos: A

No Luka Modric? No problem. Summer signing Kroos has been superb in the centre of the pitch for Los Blancos, and he was in complete control of proceedings on Tuesday.  

Vladislav Stoyanov: B+

After a series of impressive performances in this year's Champions League, Stoyanov should be a coveted name on the transfer market for any club looking for an experienced goalkeeper as a quality starter or valuable depth. Without the 27-year-old, the score could just as easily have been 5-0 at half-time.

Post-Match Reaction

As shared by AS' Nicholas Rigg, Los Blancos set a new Spanish record by grabbing their 19th consecutive win, finishing the group stages without a single blemish:

KICK TV focused on the same incredible numbers:

Manager Carlo Ancelotti is just as impressed with Los Blancos' winning streak as everyone else is, via Football Espagna:

"

We needed to win this game and we did. We played a good intensity and we won without any problems. We didn't play with the handbrake on. We prepared for the match like we always have done.

It was a comfortable match, we had opportunities and in the end everything went well. The team oversaw the result with seriousness and professionalism.

It's not easy to prepare for matches with such motivation and desire. We continue trying to prepare in the best way we can. I have an extraordinary group.

Not even I could've imagined that we'd win 19 straight games after losing to Atleti. I have much love for the players and always appreciated them. I'm very fond of the club and everything's going well for us. We need to continue fighting for this moment.

"

Post-Match Outlook

Real Madrid already knew they'd win the group coming into the match, and the defending champions will hope for a good draw once all of their possible opponents become known.

Ludogorets' European adventure is over, with FC Basel moving to the next round and Liverpool grabbing the Europa League ticket.

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