James Rodriguez, Alvaro Morata Help Real Madrid Dispatch Deportivo 6-2

A much-changed Real Madrid side kept pace with Barcelona in La Liga's title race on Wednesday as they comfortably dispatched Deportivo La Coruna 6-2 at the Estadio Riazor.

Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez put Real ahead early on before Florin Andone pegged them back, with Lucas Vazquez also finding the net at the end of a breathless first half.

Rodriguez and the outstanding Isco put the game to bed after the break, though Real could have scored many more goals as they missed a plethora of chances against the lacklustre hosts. Joselu headed in a consolation before Casemiro got in on the act late on.

There was no Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad as manager Zinedine Zidane made nine changes, but it mattered little as Madrid enjoyed the perfect start. Isco fed Morata on the right and the unmarked striker applied a powerful near-post finish just 53 seconds in.

Morata forced a save from German Lux, while Isco and Marco Asensio each hit the woodwork as Los Blancos continued to dominate the early exchanges, per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:

Rodriguez grabbed a deserved second on 14 minutes when he shifted the ball out wide to Vazquez and converted the Spaniard's resulting cross.

Real should have had a third soon after when Morata scored from Marcelo's cross, but the goal was incorrectly disallowed for offside.

Lux was called into action again to deny Vazquez and Morata before Deportivo punished the missed chances from the visitors with a goal of their own.

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Real failed to clear their lines when Depor put the ball in the box, allowing Andone to turn in Gael Kakuta's wayward effort on goal.

Kiko Casilla was lucky not to concede again in the 43rd minute when he flapped at a corner and the ball ricocheted wide of the post off Sidnei. A minute later, though, Real's two-goal cushion was restored when Isco showed some lovely footwork before finding Marcelo on the left and Vazquez finished the Brazilian's cross.

BeIN Sport's David Cartlidge marvelled at Isco's performance:

The visitors continued to fashion chances in the second half as Asensio charged through Depor from the halfway line and squared to Vazquez in the area, but again Real lacked the ruthlessness to finish it off.

Their next opportunity was more successful, with Rodriguez showing composure to pick out the bottom corner after Morata had been forced out wide after rounding the goalkeeper.

Isco, who was at the heart of almost everything positive for Madrid, eventually got the goal his performance deserved when he converted a cross.

Lalo R. Villar/Associated Press

Joselu glanced home Andone's centre to pull another back for the hosts, but it was all too easy for Real and substitute 'keeper Przemyslaw Tyton allowed Casemiro's long shot to squirm in underneath him.

Despite missing scores of chances, Real enjoyed the perfect response to Barcelona's 7-1 win over Osasuna and are again level on points with their rivals.

What's more, they did so easily with many of their regular starters absent, ensuring they will be fresh to face Valencia on Saturday.