Goals: Real Madrid—Ronaldo 2’ - Rodriguez 31’ - Benzema 54’ - Babin (own goal) 87'
Recap: Ninety minutes of inspired football saw Real Madrid capture a 4-0 victory over Granada on Saturday.
A blitzing start allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to open the affair after just 99 seconds of play. James Rodriguez would double the advantage less than 30 minutes later. The Colombian international volleyed home an unintentional assist from striker Karim Benzema, giving Madrid a 2-0 lead at the half.
Second-half goals from Karim Benzema and Granada's Jean-Sylvain Babin sealed the 4-0 victory.
Key Moment: Rather than play Benzema’s pass on the ground and find a pull-back opportunity. James opted for the Sportscenter highlight instead. La Liga already has its favorite for Goal of the Year after just 10 weeks of play.
Man of the Match: Benzema went from facilitator to finisher as the match progressed. The Frenchman finished with one goal and two assists.
Lesson Learned: Real Madrid were criticized for allowing Angel Di Maria to depart the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window. Three months into the season, James has proven that that criticism was unwarranted. The 23-year-old starlet entered the weekend with two goals and four assists. But his average of 2.7 key passes highlighted his ability to influence a match with the same pace as his Argentine counterpart, who finished his final season at Madrid with an average of 2.6. A left-footed volley in Saturday’s win underlined one undeniable truth: James is developing at a rate that will eclipse Di Maria’s contributions in the Spanish capital.
Up Next: Real Madrid return home to host Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Nov. 4, while Granada visits Celta Vigo in league play on Nov. 8.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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