Real Madrid pulverized Betis in a first half of awesome attacking power at the Benito Villamarín, running out comfortable 6-1 victors to bring a resounding end to a run of four consecutive draws in all competitions. Raphael Varane, Karim Benzema, Marcelo, Isco (2) and Cristiano Ronaldo all got on the score sheet in Seville with Alvaro Cejudo bagging the consolation goal for the hosts.
Positives
That first half break...from a Betis corner Real swept forward with excellent movement on and off the ball for a wonderful team goal to make it 4-0. Zinedine Zidane has been asking for more intensity at the start of games from his side and he certainly got that with Real chalking up 14 shots in the first half. He must be asking himself where he can get that 45 minutes bottled.
Negatives
A clean sheet thrown away as Real switched off at the start of the second period. The defensive lapses were purely lack of concentration and that will be of concern to Zidane as Real have not kept their side of the score sheet at zero since beating Espanyol 2-0 a month ago.
Manager rating
7--Zidane remained loyal to his formation and attacking instincts despite the gravity of the occasion and it paid off as his side swept Betis off the pitch in the opening exchanges.
Player Ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating):
GK Keylor Navas, 7 -- Navas had a fairly quiet evening and could do nothing about Cejudo's goal but looked a little rusty on a couple of occasions, notably when Joaquin managed to put a cross under him.
DF Dani Carvajal, 8 -- Energetic and always willing to get forward against a ragged Betis back line, Carvajal's final ball let him down too often but he was impeccable defensively.
DF Pepe, 7 -- Chalked up an assist for Isco's first goal and reacted well to thwart Castro at the start of the second half. Played a sloppy ball straight to the opposition for Cejudo's goal but was otherwise a reassuring presence.
DF Raphael Varane, 8 -- Varane opened the scoring with a towering header and was instrumental in starting moves from the back. The Frenchman dealt well with the movement of Ruben Castro and was the reason Alvaro Alegria was taken off after a fruitless 45 minutes for the promising Betis forward.
DF Marcelo, 9 -- Whether or not it was purely down to the vice-captain's return to action, Real looked a different side compared to the ponderous version of recent weeks. The acting captain was a driving force throughout. His goal owed a little to luck, but there was no element of fortune about his influence on his teammates.
MF Mateo Kovacic, 8 -- Neat and tidy in possession and disciplined in his movement and distribution, Kovacic was low-key, but that's exactly what Zidane will have asked for with Kroos and Isco handling the job of creating chances. The Croatian covered 7.7km in an hour and made a team-high four tackles.
MF Toni Kroos, 9 -- Nicking the ball of Joaquin and embarking on a driving run to tee up Benzema for Real's second capped a commanding performance from the German, who is back to his best. Everything ran through Kroos and he added a second assist to take his season's tally to five.
MF Isco, 8 -- If this was an audition for a greater role in Zidane's ensemble, Isco nailed it. He won possession several times, held the ball up and was a perfect complement to Kroos with his positional awareness rather than clogging the midfield. Finished Real's team goal and scored a trademark curling effort.
FW Gareth Bale, 7 -- Bale hit the post with a diving header and was a constant early threat that Betis had little answer for. Although he faded from the match in the second half. There was really no need for a blatant dive at 5-1 up though.
FW Karim Benzema, 7 -- Benzema found himself on the score sheet on 31 minutes, sweeping home from close range, and could have had another but for Antonio Adan's quick reflexes. The striker is still not quite fully firing after injury but this was a step in the right direction.
FW Cristiano Ronaldo, 7 -- Ronaldo was full of running and looking to set up his teammates in the first half, aware of the need to get off to a good start whatever the source. Reverted to type in the second 45, hitting double the number of shots of any Real player, and got on the score sheet eventually with a well-taken goal.
Substitutes:
FW Lucas Vázquez, 6 -- On for Kovacic with 25 minutes to go, Vázquez rolled up his sleeves and helped out in midfield.
FW Alvaro Morata, NR -- Replaced Benzema on 75 minutes and linked well with Ronaldo, providing the assist for the Portuguese's goal with a nice touch.
MF Marco Asensio, NR -- On for Bale with just over 10 minutes to play, Asensio had little time to impress.
Substitutes: