- Marek Suchy own goal puts Real Madrid ahead after 14 minutes
- Gareth Bale makes it 2-0 from delightful Luka Modric pass
- Cristiano Ronaldo adds the third from Bale cross after half an hour
- James Rodriguez scores fourth after Karim Benzema has a shot parried
- Derlis Gonzalez pulls one back for Basle with excellent run and shot
- Karim Benzema scores Real Madrid's fifth goal with an emphatic finish in the second half
Real
Madrid moved straight to the top of Group B with a win over woeful Basle
and Cristiano Ronaldo moved to within three goals of Raul’s all-time
Champions League scoring record.
This
was not Real Madrid rediscovering the swagger that saw them brush aside
Bayern Munich in last season’s semi-final and beat Atletico Madrid 4-1
in the final but they still had far too much for last season’s Swiss
Champions.
They
took the lead as early as the 14th minute when right-back Nacho made
his first run into the Basle area and played the ball to James whose
clever backheel allowed the full-back to continue his run and shoot at
Tomas Vaclik in the Basle goal. Via the chest of defender Marek Suchy
the ball went past the keeper at his near post.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale
celebrate after Real Madrid score twice in as many minutes to take a
three-goal lead at the Bernabeu
Cristiano Ronaldo takes an early run at tow Basle defenders as Real Madrid started the stronger side
Welsh star Gareth Bale was closely
marked in the opening stages but Basle were unable to cope with Real
Madrid's plethora of attacking talent
Nacho celebrates with James Rodriguez after his cross was deflected into the net by Basle's Marek Suchy to put Real Madrid ahead
Madrid
were on top without being particularly convincing in those opening
stages. Toni Kroos is learning on the job in Xabi Alonso’s defensive
midfield position and he was guilty of giving the ball away twice in the
first half in dangerous areas.
Against a better team the slips would have cost Real dearly but Basle were weak in attack and leaky at the back.
Their
defence – marshaled by 36-year-old Walter Samuel who played briefly and
unremarkably for Real Madrid ten years ago – looked vulnerable to every
attack and soon Real had a second goal.
Gareth
Bale ran on to Luka Modric’s pass and scored past Vaclik. A minute
later he turned provider as Cristiano Ronaldo moved to 68 Champions
League goals – just three behind Raul’s all-time competition record.
The
goal flurry had been preceded by Karim Benzema running through in an
offside position and missing his chance before a forgiving flag was
raised – cue whistles and boos from supporters who were also vocal in
their criticism of Iker Casillas.
Benzema
could have silenced the boos with a goal but instead shot straight at
the keeper when played in by Ronaldo and looked on as James tapped in
the rebound for goal number four.
Casillas
was being jeered and cheered in equal measure every time he took a
goal-kick but the whistles intensified when he failed to keep out Derlis
Gonzalez’ shot out just before half-time as Basle narrowed the margin.
The 20-year-old Paraguayan could then have made it 4-2 but sent his
volley over the bar.
Gareth Bale lifts the ball high over
Basle goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik before rounding him to score Real Madrid's
second goal of the night
Gareth Bale tucks the ball into the
empty net having lifted it over the Basle goalkeeper after being put
through on goal by a magnificent Luka Modric pass
World Player of the Year Cristiano
Ronaldo taps home into an empty net after being picked out by his Real
Madrid teammate Gareth Bale to make it 3-0
Cristiano Ronaldo wheels away towards Gareth Bale after converting the Welshman's cross to make it three after half an hour
Watching
Liverpool scouts would have noted defensive lapses at both ends with a
bizarre overhead kick towards his own penalty area from Modric sending
Marco Strellar through.
Ramos
clattered into him and had the Basle forward gone down Ramos, as the
last man, would have walked but Strellar stayed on his fit to miss the
chance.
Walter
Samuel’s night ended ten minutes into the second half when he was taken
off and Sergio Ramos was also withdrawn with Raphael Varane coming on.
The
Frenchman’s first contribution was to head a Basle through ball on to
Gonzalez who should have made it 4-2. Casillas spread himself and palmed
the chance away to wild applause from those in the stadium who had
earlier done their best to drown out the whistles directed at him.
Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo celebrate together after their attacking brilliance had ripped the Swiss side's defence apart
James Rodriguez slides home the fourth goal for Real Madrid after Tomas Vaclik had parried a shot from striker Karim Benzema
Basle's defence was unable to cope
with the pace and quality of the Real Madrid forwards as the champions
romped into a four goal lead inside 36 minutes
It
was then time for Benzema to exact some revenge on his critics rifling
in the fifth off the underside of the cross bar before being substituted
by Ancelotti – still whistled by some home supporters despite the
strike.
The
5-1 scoreline slightly flattered Madrid and Fabian Schar could have
narrowed the margin when his shot came back off of Casillas’ left-hand
post. Bale missed a chance to get his second when a shot from close
range was palmed away by Vaclik.
But
Real had done enough to win the game, top group B and restore some the
confidence that has recently been shredded by the sale of Angel Di Maria
and Xabi Alonso and two defeats in three in the league.
The Real Madrid
players walk back after scoring their fourth goal, their third in a
seven-minute period of play that flattened the visitors Basle
Iker Casillas makes a rare save as
Basle were over-run by Real Madrid's attacking quality. The Real Madrid
keeper was given no chance with Derlis Gonzalez's goal
Basle captain Marco Streller holds his
head in disappointment on what was a frustrating night for the Basle
forwards who spent most of the night defending
Karim Benzema enjoys the acclaim of
the Benabeu after rounding off his performance with a goal, Real
Madrid's fifth of a very comfortable victory
