published: tuesday 16 september 2014, 22.49cet real madrid cf 5-1 fc basel 1893
gareth bale, cristiano ronaldo and james rodríguez all struck in a comfortable home win while karim benzema scored the holders' 1,000th european goal.
• reigning champions ease to comforable win against swiss title holders • marek suchý own goal sets madrid on their way (14) • gareth bale (30), cristiano ronaldo (31) and james rodríguez (37) on target • karim benzema's late fifth is holders' 1,000th european goal • next games: ludogorets v madrid, basel v liverpool (1 october)
real madrid cf got their uefa champions league defence off to an impressive start, a devastating first-half attacking display setting up victory against fc basel 1893.
the hosts dominated possession from the kick-off, efforts from luka modrić and cristiano ronaldo flying over the bar. just as it looked as basel had weathered the early storm, some sumptuous build-up play down the right gave james rodríguez the chance to back-heel the ball into nacho fernández's path and the full-back's cross was inadvertently deflected past his own goalkeeper by marek suchý.
the visitors almost drew level immediately, marco streller sending taulant xhkha's cross into the side netting, yet it was the merengues who did the majority of the pressing. modrić and pepe both drew fine saves from vaclík but the goalkeeper was exposed again on the half-hour when modrić's sumptuous pass over the top found the run of gareth bale. the welshman coolly lifted the ball over the onrushing vaclík before tapping into an empty net.
that sparked a flurry of three goals in eight minutes, modrić and bale combining to set up last season's 17-goal top scorer ronaldo for his first of this year's competition before james tapped in after karim benzema's deflected shot had been clawed away by vaclík. less than 60 seconds later derlis gonzález raced on to a luca zuffi through ball to fire low across ıker casillas and into the far corner, but that was to be as good as it got for basel.
after that frenetic first half it was perhaps little surprise that the second 45 minutes was a tighter affair. ronaldo and sergio ramos did threaten from set pieces while casillas produced a stunning reaction save to deny gonzález after the goalscorer had collected a ball over the top of the home back line.
the madrid captain was beaten again as basel centre-back fabian schär raced forward, but the long-range effort clipped the post and the last word would go to madrid. benzema exchanged passes with ronaldo before thumping in his team's fifth goal of the evening, marking madrid's intent to mount a first successful defence of the uefa champions league.
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