Goals: Cornella—Muñoz 20'; Real Madrid—Varane 10', 36' - Hernandez 54' - Marcelo 75'
Recap: Ninety minutes of inspired football saw Real Madrid capture a 4-1 victory over Cornella on Wednesday.
The visitors opened the affair after just 10 minutes play, with James Rodriguez providing the service for Raphael Varane's towering header. Cornella would respond. A lapse in defense provided Oscar Munoz a clear-cut opportunity in the 20th minute. The 27-year-old left zero doubts with his finish. But Real Madrid, and to a larger extent Varane, wouldn't be denied. The 21-year-old completed his brace with a second header in the 36th minute.
Second-half goals from Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Marcelo sealed the 4-1 victory.
Key Moment: It wasn't decisive enough, but it is worthy of note. Playing in Spain's third division, a majority, if not all of the Cornella roster serve as part-time footballers. Muñoz, the man responsible for Cornella's lone strike, is an electrician by trade. That didn't stop him from thrashing home an unstoppable strike against the world's biggest club.
Man of the Match: Varane was partially at fault for Cornella's equalizer in the first half, but the Frenchman's aerial dominance proved to be the difference on Wednesday.
Lesson Learned: Real Madrid boast the most potent set-piece delivery in all of football. That fact was proven once more on Wednesday. Not one, but two of the club's corner-kicks were confidently buried at Power8 Stadium. Each was provided by a different member of the midfield (Isco and James); however, Madrid's service isn't limited to the two starlets. The additions of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to that list give Los Galacticos the greatest compliment of set-piece takers in the modern game.
Up Next: Both clubs return to league play at the weekend, with Real madrid traveling to Granada on Nov. 1 and Cornella visiting Club Gimnastic de Tarragona on Nov. 2.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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