Real Madrid make David Moyes’s Real Sociedad suffer thanks to Karim Benzema
Real Madrid 4 - 1 Real Sociedad
James Rodriguez 3
Garcia Sergio Ramos 37
Karim Benzema 52
Karim Benzema 77
Aritz Elustondo 1
Karim Benzema celebrates with Real Madrid team-mates after scoring the team's fourth goal against Real Sociedad.
Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid thrashed Real Sociedad 4-1 at home on Saturday without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo to ensure they remained top of La Liga.
Sociedad defender Aritz Elustondo scored his first goal for the Basque club 36 seconds into the match, but James Rodríguez headed the hosts level in the third minute and Madrid never looked back.
Sergio Ramos scored eight minutes before half-time and Benzema made it 3-1 in the 53rd minute before he struck an exquisite second in the 76th.
Ronaldo watched from the stands at Santiago Bernabéu stadium as he served the first of a two-game ban for kicking Córdoba defender Edimar last weekend.
Madrid opened a four-point gap over Barcelona who face Villarreal at home on Sunday. Madrid will also play a game in hand against Sevilla on Wednesday.
David Moyes’s Sociedad displayed little of the verve which helped them overcome a 2-0 deficit to fight back for a stunning 4-2 victory over Madrid in August, before the former Everton manager’s arrival in Spain.
Only Gerónimo Rulli’s goalkeeping spared Sociedad a bigger defeat as Moyes and his side remain in 11th place and are still the only team yet to win away in the league this season. They did catch Madrid cold on this occasion as left-back Yuri Berchiche charged up the pitch to win a corner, which Rubén Pardo fired into the area for Elustondo to thump in.
But the European champions did not take long to respond as Rodríguez slipped between Sociedad’s central defenders to head Marcelo’s floated pass into the corner of the goal.
Sociedad never looked steady at the back, but continued to threaten until forward Carlos Vela hurt his right knee and had to be substituted in the 17th minute.
Rulli saved shots from Benzema and Rodríguez before denying the France international a second time, only for Ramos to blast Madrid into the lead.
With Ronaldo out, Gareth Bale had been expected to take over scoring duties, but his eagerness got the better of him in the 40th minute when he intercepted a Benzema pass meant for Rodríguez and shot wide with Rulli off his line.
Bale made amends after the restart when he worked a passing combination with Benzema before slipping the ball back for the striker to score. The France forward then capped a strong showing with an unstoppable curling shot past Rulli.
Guardian