Cristiano Ronaldo scored five times as Real Madrid thumped Granada 9-1 at the Bernabeu in La Liga on Sunday.
Three of Ronaldo's five goals came in the first period, while Gareth Bale also registered to leave the hosts 4-0 ahead after a pulsating first 45 minutes.
It was to get worse for Granada, however, with Ronaldo registering early in the second period either side of a double from Karim Benzema to leave Los Blancos 7-0 ahead.
The visitors had one back after 74 minutes through Robert Ibanez, but an eighth arrived for Real Madrid when Diego Mainz turned into his own net from close range, before Ronaldo added his fifth goal in the 89th minute.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action.
Match statistics
REAL MADRID
Shots: 29
On target: 11
Possession: 62%
Corners: 10
Fouls: 6
GRANADA
Shots: 11
On target: 6
Possession: 38%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair?
Where on earth to begin? Real Madrid were expected to win this game comfortably, but it is difficult to predict a game that includes 10 goals - nine of which came for one team. Granada actually started quite well and had a couple of bright moments on the counter-attack during a frustrating first 25 minutes for Real. However, when the first goal went in, it got gradually worse for the visitors. Granada needed to keep it tight for the remainder of the half after falling 1-0 behind to Bale, but an eight-minute hat-trick from Ronaldo left the home side with a comprehensive four-goal lead at the break. It was always going to be a damage-limitation exercise for Granada in the second period, but things only got worse.
With 56 minutes on the clock, Granada were 7-0 behind as Benzema netted twice and Ronaldo scored his fourth in the early stages of the second period. Both sides made changes either side of the hour mark as attention switched to the midweek games, but that did not stop the flow of pressure. Ronaldo could have had eight or nine himself, but ended with five following a header late on. The visitors did manage to register through Ibanez, who had a bright game, but an own goal from Mainz summed up what was a humiliating afternoon for the strugglers. Granada actually had 11 attempts during a game in which they carried a threat, but their troubles at the back allowed Real to run riot in front of their own supporters. The home side are now just one point behind league leaders Barcelona, who face Celta Vigo on Sunday night.
Real Madrid's performance
Having won just one of their last five games in all competitions, Real Madrid entered the game under some pressure. They were boosted by the return of James Rodriguez, however, with the Colombian replacing the suspended Isco in the XI. It took 25 minutes for the hosts to open the scoring, but they absolutely mauled Granada from that moment. Bale eased some of the pressure on himself with a smart finish to open the scoring, before Ronaldo, who had been a frustrated figure at the start of the match, hit an incredible hat-trick. There is no question that Real Madrid were helped by some poor defending and questionable goalkeeping, but they looked a threat each time that they broke forward. It had been thought that the hosts would drop their level in the second half to save energy for an important couple of weeks, but that was not the case as, 11 minutes into the second period, they led 7-0, with Benzema ensuring that all members of the 'BBC' had registered.
It is no exaggeration to say that Ronaldo could have had nine himself after a number of second-half chances, but the Portuguese had to settle for just the five goals. James demonstrated his importance to the team with a couple of assists, while Bale also set up two of Ronaldo's goals to cap what was a fine performance from the Welshman. Marcelo also offered a threat in a wide area, while Luka Modric and Toni Kroos were both exceptional as Real played an almost perfect game. The fact that the hosts had 11 shots on target and scored nine times is a fairly damning statistic, but it really could have been anything in the second period. There were no white handkerchiefs in Madrid following a five-star performance.
Granada's performance
Granada entered the game having won just one of their last eight league matches and having not tasted success at the Bernabeu since the 1973-74 season. Not many predicted a shock in Madrid, but even the most pessimistic Granada supporter would have been hard pushed to predict what did occur. Head coach Abel Resino rung the changes from the draw with Eibar before the international break and it was an XI that included plenty of attacking talent. Youssef El-Arabi was joined in the final third by Ruben Rochina and Ibanez, and the visitors actually made a decent start to the game. Ibanez had a good chance before the scoring started, but could only flash his effort wide of the post. Three of Real Madrid's first goals were avoidable from Granada's point of view, with Mainz too easily shrugged aside by Bale for the first and Oier Olazabal guilty of allowing Ronaldo to score a fairly straightforward hat-trick. Granada had been expected to tighten up in the early stages of the second period in order to limit the damage, but they fell apart - conceding a fifth after 52 minutes and they trailed 7-0 just four minutes later.
Resino made a couple of changes in a bid to stem the tide, but Real were intent on causing some serious damage. The visitors still managed to threaten on the counter-attack and deserved a goal, which came when Ibanez burst through before beating Iker Casillas. Their troubles at the other end were still very much apparent, however, with Mainz scoring a poor own goal before Ronaldo added the home side's ninth in the 89th minute. Whether Granada survive this season is not going to depend on their results at places such as the Bernabeu, but a defeat of this magnitude could cripple their confidence at this stage of the season. As it stands, they are 19th in the table, three points from safety.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese has faced some criticism in recent weeks, with his body language suggesting that he is not too happy with life in Madrid. Well, more performances of this ilk will change that perception very quickly. Ronaldo netted five times at the Bernabeu to move clear at the top of the La Liga scoring charts, and the attacker could have had nine or 10 during a dominant performance.
Biggest gaffe
Granada will want to put this game to bed as quickly as possible following a number of defensive mistakes. Their performance could be picked apart from various angles, but goalkeeper Oier and centre-back Mainz will not remember the game too fondly. The away side's stopper made a couple of horrible mistakes, with his biggest error allowing a Ronaldo strike to slip through his fingers. Mainz had a comical moment late on, meanwhile, when he fired into the back of his own net following a low cross from Jese Rodriguez.
Referee performance
Referee Jesus Gil will not have many simpler games to officiate. The Spaniard did not issue a single yellow card until the 64th minute and issued just two more in the final 25 minutes. There was not really a major decision for Gil to make and he was not seen for long spells, which is always a good sign for a referee.
What next?
Real Madrid: Los Blancos will make the trip to close rivals Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.
Granada: Granada, meanwhile, are also in action on Wednesday as they host Celta Vigo.
Matt Law
