Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema scored seven goals between them as Real Madrid rounded off their Champions League Group A campaign with a thumping 8-0 win over Malmo this evening.
Los Blancos entered the match having already qualified as group winners, but a point for Malmo might have been enough for them to finish in third position and secure a spot in the Europa League.
It was a miserable night for the Swedes, however, with Ronaldo scoring four and Benzema hitting a hat-trick. Mateo Kovacic, meanwhile, was also on the scoresheet for the Spanish giants in Madrid.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two teams.
Match statistics
REAL MADRID
Shots: 30
On target: 15
Possession: 59%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 5
MALMO
Shots: 4
On target: 1
Possession: 41%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 6
Was the result fair?
There is absolutely no question that Real Madrid deserved to run out clear and comfortable winners against Malmo and in truth, it could well have been 10 or 11. That seems an incredible statement to make, but the home side had 31 attempts at the Bernabeu and when thinking back over the chances they missed, it could have been even more comprehensive. Malmo played some decent stuff in the final third without really threatening, but defensively they were just terrible and nowhere near good enough for this level.
It took just 12 minutes for Benzema to open the scoring and it was 3-0 at the break. That quickly became five early in the second period and Real Madrid continued to dominate in the latter stages. The fact that the home side did not have much to play for meant that there was a freedom about their game, but Malmo should have been much better in what was a send-off game for experienced boss Age Hareide. It is difficult to be too critical of Malmo for losing the match, but shipping eight goals at this level of football just cannot happen. Real Madrid were excellent and certainly deserve a lot of credit, but Malmo were abysmal.
Real Madrid's performance
The likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric were given the night off by Rafael Benitez, but Ronaldo, Benzema and James Rodriguez all continued in the team. Having already made sure of top spot in Group A, it was a free game for Real Madrid, but the supporters would have turned up expecting a strong performance. Benzema opened the scoring with the home side's first real chance of the match, before making it 2-0 in the 24th minute with a super header. It could have been more by the time Ronaldo registered from a long-range free kick, but the Portuguese was guilty of missing a couple of excellent chances. Ronaldo finished the game with four goals, but he seriously could have had six or seven tonight.
Ronaldo completed his hat-trick in the space of three second-half minutes as Malmo found themselves 5-0 behind with more than 40 minutes remaining. Ronaldo was again on the scoresheet just before the hour for 6-0, before Kovacic swept home from just inside the box in the 70th minute. Benitez's side just would not let up as they made it eight through Benzema's third and the likes of Isco and Jese Rodriguez both had opportunities to make it nine or 10 in the final minutes. Ultimately, Los Blancos settled for eight, however, as they rounded off their group campaign in sensational style.
It has been a difficult period of the season for Real Madrid following a couple of high-profile defeats and their problems in the Copa del Rey, but their performance at the Bernabeu acted as a reminder to their doubters. Ronaldo, who has had his critics, was just excellent, while Benzema shrugged off his problems to put in a fine performance. Tougher tests will lie ahead in this competition, but in full flow, there are few teams that can stop this Real Madrid machine. Benitez needed a good result and a good performance and his players showed that they are on board with a record-equalling win in the Champions League.
Malmo's performance
When Malmo made it through the qualifying rounds, they would have hoped to avoid drawing three strong teams in the group stages. Getting both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain meant that it was always going to be a challenge for the Swedish outfit to finish first or second, while Shakhtar Donetsk were also one of the toughest teams that they could have drawn from that pot. They entered this match still with a chance of finishing third, however, and with it, securing a spot in the Europa League. For that to occur, they needed to avoid defeat and hope that PSG could overcome Shakhtar in the French capital.
Malmo actually played some nice football in the early moments as they swept from left to right in the final third, and they were unfortunate when Benzema converted the opening goal after Isco had an effort cleared off the line. At that point, the next goal was always going to be vital and when Benzema headed home for 2-0, the game as a contest was over. A terrible goalkeeping mistake from Johan Wiland allowed Ronaldo to squeeze home a free kick for three and the away side headed down the tunnel knowing that they would have to try and limit the damage in the second 45 minutes of action.
In the 50th minute, however, Real Madrid were 5-0 ahead and three more were added as the hosts utterly dominated the remaining minutes. Hareide, who will now leave his post at Malmo, sent out an attacking team in a 4-4-2 formation, but the likes of Jo Inge Berget and Tobias Sana really struggled to make their mark. It was always going to be a tough ask to avoid defeat at the Bernabeu, but the fact that they allowed Real Madrid 31 shots and only had one attempt on target of their own made it a very disappointing evening. At the back, they were simply all over the place for long spells.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Cristiano Ronaldo: Ronaldo's four goals in Madrid took him onto 11 strikes in this season's group stages, which is a new Champions League record. Some have questioned the 30-year-old's performances this season, but he is still the go-to man for Los Blancos and he also played a key role in his team's first goal, before setting up Benzema for 2-0. Malmo just could not live with the Portugal captain as he put in another sensational performance at the Bernabeu.
Biggest gaffe
Malmo's defending on the whole, especially in the second period, was just awful, but the standout gaffe of the match occurred in the first half when the away side's goalkeeper Wiland allowed a Ronaldo free kick to find the back of the net. The attacker struck the set piece with decent power and direction, but it should never have found the bottom corner.
Referee performance
Italian referee Daniele Orsato had a very comfortable evening. The 40-year-old did not issue a single yellow card in the Spanish capital and hardly had a decision to make. Real Madrid might feel they could have had a penalty in the first period when Danilo was blocked off, but it would have been very soft.
What next?
Real Madrid: Los Blancos will attempt to continue their winning run when they make the trip to Villarreal in Spain's top flight at the weekend.
Malmo: Having failed to finish third, Malmo's European journey for the 2015-16 campaign has come to an end. They also completed their league season in October and will now be looking ahead to next term.
Matt Law
