These two transfer bans mean nothing for the modern-day galacticos of Madrid, do they? On this showing, Madrid are dripping with star quality to last them a lifetime as they put pay to Sporting inside 18 minutes. Zidane’s side were potent in the final third, where they were so often joined by the marauding Dani Carvajal, who excelled at right-back. Ronaldo was brilliant but fortunate, too. The Portuguese could have seen red for a nasty kick out at Sporting midfielder Cases. Anyway, back to the positives, the hosts were compelling to watch and most important of all, remain on the tails of their Madrid neighbours, Atlético. Thanks for reading, tweeting and emailing. Bye!
Real Madrid are up to second in the table. Madrid’s monstrous first-half showing helped them up to second, one point ahead of Barcelona who host Bilbao tonight. Meanwhile, Sporting are unmoved at the bottom of La Liga, after their eighth defeat from the last nine matches.
Injury concerns for Zidane? Goalscorers Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema were forced off, the latter with what appeared to be an ankle injury after clashing with James Rodríguez. Bale was withdrawn at the break, with concerns over a calf injury.
Sporting Gijón have won ... the second-half 1-0. The visitors grabbed a deserved goal through Isma Lopez, which will act as a consolation after a dismal first-half defensive showing. Madrid were allowed too much room to play and they duly punished Gijón’s frailties. But Idi, a half-time sub, made a difference for the visitors whilst Madrid slowly moved back down through the gears.
Full time: Real Madrid 5-1 Sporting Gijón!
It’s all over here at the Bernabéu!
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90+1 min: Marcelo sets up James and really it should have been six. He slid the ball across goal after good work from Jese but Sporting do well to clear the ball. Varane heads his header from the resulting corner straight at Cuellar.
90 min: Sporting play a great ball in to Sanabria from the left. His eyes must have lit up when Menendez swung in his left-foot cross but the striker cannot get his long legs on the end of it.
88 min: Madrid are just seeing the game out now. Hala Madrid! sweeps around the Bernabéu and it’s almost job done. OK, yes, it was job done after 20 minutes but nevertheless.
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Madrid were phenomenal in the first 45 minutes but have lost some of their spark in this second period. Jese has injected some life down the right but Sporting Gijón can take some pride from this second-half showing.
84 min: Real go straight up the other end with Jese. His pace sees him get to the byline but his low cross can’t pick out Ronaldo or James.
83 min: Sporting Gijón have a corner, after Marcelo intercepts a cross from the right. Sub Rachid takes the corner but it’s comfortably cleared.
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81 min: Real sub James then tries to pick out Ronaldo at the back post, but that’s gobbled up easily by Cuellar.
80 min: Dani Ndi is found on the right but he’s tackled by Marcelo. Sporting Gijón have a throw but opt to go back, as opposed to forwards. They play themselves into trouble, before eventually moving towards the halfway line again.
77 min: Real attempt to penetrate again through Carvajal down the right but his through ball is cut out. He then drives forward again but his threaded ball is sliced away from the feet of Ronaldo.
75 min: Kroos, Kovacic and Carvajal enjoy some tiki-taka as such on the right. The ball switches to the left, where Ronaldo is lurking. The Portuguese unleashes a fierce effort at goal but Cuellar saves.
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73 min: Sporting Gijón change as Guerrero makes way for Sanabria. Visitors have just had a header straight at Keylor Navas. They are doing themselves justice this second-half and have not fallen to pieces, as many would have predicted (myself included).
70 min: Injuries to Bale and Benzema appear to have dampened Madrid’s stride. Ronaldo is now huffing and puffing after being fouled just outside the box.
69 min: Menendez crosses for goalscorer Isma, a left-back by trade, who is enjoying himself in an unfamiliar position out on the right wing.
67 min: Kroos is penalised for a trip on Ndi, who has certainly made a difference since coming on at the break. The Cameroonian is remarkably powerful and strong for somebody aged just 20.
67 min: Benzema walks around the pitch, behind the Sporting Gijón goal, before heading down the tunnel, after a quick word with Zidane. ‘Ca va?’ asks the Madrid head coach.
64 min: Mateo Kovacic replaces Benzema, who is up walking but he does not look too comfortable. A couple of injury worries now for Zidane, who has already seen Bale go off injured at the break.
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63 min: Benzema goes down and looks in pain. It looked considerably more serious than the injury to Bale, who went off at the break. But the Frenchman is up on his feet, just.
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GOAAAAL! Real Madrid 5-1 Sporting Gijón (Isma, 62)
Isma Lopes converts after great work from Jony, who in fairness, has impressed for the visitors. Not quite game on, but a consolation at least for Gijón.
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61 min: Rodríguez almost makes an immediate impact but he cannot send Jese’s neat pull back goalwards.
60 min: James Rodríguez replaces Isco. It’s a like for like change, and the Colombian will sit just behind Benzema in the Madrid attack.
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59 min: Ndi makes another surging run into the Madrid half. He sprays it wide to Jony, on the left, who lets fly at goal. His effort fails to trouble Navas.
57 min: Isma Lopes’ mistake lets Jese run free down the right flank but he is unable to release Benzema. Modric has just picked up a booking for a late challenge on Cases.
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54 min: Benzema finds Ronaldo, who is in search of his hat-trick, with a neat through ball, but he screws his effort into the side netting. He should have done better.
52 min: Ronaldo has just had a little petulant kick out at Cases on the halfway line. Ronaldo a lucky boy. That should have been a red card ...
50 min: Substitute Ndi does quite well, driving down the middle, finds Jony on the right wing but his reverse ball lacks oomph and fails to find Guerrero.
No James Rodríguez yet for Madrid. Zidane, who doubtless made a wishy-washy, easy-peasy half-time team talk, preferring to bring on Jese to replace Bale at the break. Now Guerrero, who has seen very little of the ball, is booked for a silly foul on Varane.
46 min: Marcelo’s cross beats everybody, including Carvajal at the far post. A familiar start to the second period then, with Madrid on the attack.
Here we go then - without Bale! Jese comes on for Bale, who appeared to be troubled with a hamstring injury. Surprisingly, Halilovic is also withdrawn at the break for Sporting Gijón, who bring on Ndi in his place.
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Zidane scored 28 goals during his glittering Madrid playing career. Now in the hot-seat, he’s watched his side bag 10 goals inside one-and-a-half matches. This managerial lark is all too easy for the Frenchman.
Half-time: Real Madrid 5-0 Sporting Gijón
Wow! It’s been a sensational performance so far from Madrid. Benzema and Ronaldo both helped themselves to a brace a-piece whilst Bale has nabbed one too. There is no way back for Sporting Gijón, who are on the receiving end of Madrid masterclass. The Gijón defence have been made to look like statues by a free-flowing Madrid, for which Dani Carvajal has particularly impressed. Bale went down injured just before the half-time whistle and it remains to be seen if we will see him for the next 45 minutes. Are Madrid finished yet?
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45 min: Gareth Bale is down with what looks like a hamstring concern. It looks like he’s coming off. The Wales forward is heading down the tunnel, when presumably the doctors and medical staff will give him a quick MOT.
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43 min: Sporting Gijón will just want to get half-time now. Marcelo, who is captain in the absence of Ramos, surges forward but is eventually stopped in his tracks.
41 min: Superb goal, and superb play again from Isco. The winger danced his way in to a central position, before picking out Benzema with a lovely deft pass, before the striker did the rest.
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GOAAAAAL! Real Madrid 5-0 Sporting Gijón (Benzema, 41)
It’s five! Isco flicks a lovely ball in for the France forward, who dinks the ball home past Cuellar.
39 min: Madrid can smell another. Bale puts a ball in wide from the right flank but his cross evades everyone before finding Isco in a harmless area by the corner flag.
38 min: Varane makes a tackle on Halilovic inside the box. The midfielder is hauled down and the France defender appears to get very little of the ball. A let-off for Real, who are soon back on the attack.
36 min: Should be five-nil! Ronaldo is through but he’s denied his hat-trick, as Cuellar does well to sweep the ball away before Mere blocks his rebound on the line. Cristiano is then called offside by the linesman. Panic over.
34 min: Sporting Gijón have gone 15 minutes without conceding! Real have eased off a little. Dani Carvajal has been superb for Madrid. Meanwhile, another Madrid right-back, Alvaro Arbeloa, is up thanking the home support for a few birthday shout-outs. The ex-Liverpool defender is 33 today.
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¡Espectaculares primeros 20 minutos de partido! @GarethBale11 ⚽ @Cristiano ⚽⚽ @Benzema ⚽ #RMLiga #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/yAWZTRDA9b
— Real Madrid C. F. (@realmadrid) January 17, 2016
Real Madrid celebrate their four goals. They have been sublime so far.
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29 min: Ah. It wasn’t great. It’s straight into Row Z, or ZZ as it may be at the Bernabéu.
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29 min: Free-kick for Madrid from about 35 yards. Bale is sizing it up ...
26 min: Madrid have a free-kick in a dangerous area, but they play it back towards defence. That’s rather nice of the hosts isn’t it.
24 min: Navas makes a great save from Jony. On the counter, Bale plays in Ronaldo, who lays off Benzema who can’t sort out his feet. His effort ends up over the Gijón goal. Relief for the visitors ... could have been five!
23 min: Jony drives an effort at Navas who pulls off a decent save. But Real immediately go up the other end ...
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23 min: Halilovic is busy and trying to do things for Gijón. He spreads a ball wide for Menendez but it comes to nothing. Gijón still have possession.
Four goals inside 18 minutes for Real Madrid. Zidane’s Madrid have now scored nine goals inside 110 minutes of football ...
19 min: Keylor Navas does well to smother a Halilovic cross, clashing with defender Varane to get hold of the ball. Gijón’s first meaningful attack.
18 min: Carvajal slides a lovely, teasing ball across goal and Ronaldo sidefoots home past Cuellar. Madrid are electric. What a start here!
GOAAAL! Real Madrid 4-0 Sporting Gijón (Ronaldo, 18)
Ronaldo notches his second ...
16 min: Real soon counter, Kroos picks out a lovely weighted ball for Bale but Cuellar in the Gijón goal rushes out to clear. Not long after Modric fires over from I-S-C-O’s cross.
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15 min: Gijón look beaten already. Madrid look like scoring every time they get into the visitors’ half. Gijón have a brief moment of pressure but Carvajal clears.
21st Madrid goal this season for Benzema. That’s probably the best goal of the lot so far. Brilliant goals indeed for the hosts, but Gijón look terribly vulnerable at the back.
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GOAL! Real Madrid 3-0 Sporting Gijón (Benzema, 12)
Magnificent volley on his 300th appearance for the club. Bale crosses and the Frenchman fires home an acrobatic finish. They scored ten against Rayo Vallecano didn’t they ...
Two goals in two minutes. Zidane will be licking his lips at the sight of this. Gijón are all over the place and the hosts, who are the top scorers in Europe, are beginning to showboat.
GOAAAL! Real Madrid 2-0 Sporting Gijón (Ronaldo, 9)
Ronaldo turns and swivels from the inside the edge of the box. The Sporting keeper has yet to even touch the ball. It’s too easy for Madrid.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Sporting Gijón (Bale, 7)
Bale heads home at the near post from the corner.
6 min: Bale dummies for Carvajal, after a great ball from Modric. The right-back crosses but it’s cleared for a corner.
5 min: Defensive mistake by Gijón’s teenage defender Mere. He escapes unscathed after Benzema fails to grab the ball off him.
4 min: Halilovic weaves past a couple of players but he is stopped in his tracks, seemingly unfairly. No foul given to the visitors.
3 min: Real are breezing themselves into the game, knocking it about nicely. Gareth Bale’s cross from the right is disappointing and then Modric has just passed the ball out of play. Too casual from the hosts.
1 min: Long throw from Gijón but Real soon work their way up the field. Modric eventually finds Benzema who is clean through on the left, but the Frenchman is offside.
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And we’re off! Gijón with some early pressure inside the Madrid half.
Real can close the gap at the top with a win. Madrid are four points behind Atlético, who are top and two points behind Barcelona who take on Athletic Bilbao tonight. A win for Gijón would take them out of the La Liga relegation zone.
Seven minutes until kick-off. It’s been a bonkers few weeks for Madrid: we’ve had transfer bans, supposed player unrest and managerial changes, of course. Not long to go now before we see Zidane’s Madrid tackle Abelardo Fernández’s Gijón.
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This new @GQMagazine cover is EVERYTHING!!! https://t.co/xnSCOCDZYZ pic.twitter.com/qVeaXKlMx4
— Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) January 17, 2016
Cristiano Ronaldo has been busy posing for GQ’s February magazine. In it, he talks again of a move to the MLS. “Maybe in the future will be a good chance for me to play there [in America],” CR7 says. “You never know, but it’s something interesting. I consider it, of course, because as I’ve said, soccer there has become better and better ... I think that this is maybe going to be possible.”
Real Madrid's formation today. pic.twitter.com/OKrU03yKbN
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cr7Prince4ever) January 17, 2016
Expecting Real Madrid to line up in a 4-2-3-1, with Benzema, making his 300th Madrid appearance, spearheading the attack.
Sporting have lost seven of their last eight matches. Zidane has paid them plenty of respect pre-match, though. We wouldn’t expect anything less would we? “We have to be focused because we’re aware that facing us are an important team, who know how to play and who are going to fight. We must start strongly and be focused on what we’ve been working on throughout the week.’’
In the wake of the transfer ban enforced on Madrid, head coach Zidane has had his say. “For the time being we have not spoken to the club about reinforcements,” he murmured. “I am happy with the squad I have.”
Whilst we’re waiting for kick-off here, there is plenty going on in the Premier League, notably the small matter of Liverpool against Manchester United, which is already underway. Will Real Madrid trump any of that with another swashbuckling performance at home to Gijón, though?
No Sergio Ramos today for Real Madrid. The Madrid captain was subbed off at half-time against Deportivo with a calf injury and the Spain defender missed normal training with the first team this week. Enter Raphaël Varane, who has replaced the skipper in the only change to Zidane’s XI.
Once and for all, the man alongside Zizou, David Bettoni, is not the Real Madrid assistant coach ...
The teams!
Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Kroos, Modric; Ronaldo, Bale, Isco; Benzema
Subs: Casilla, Rodríguez, Kasimero, Kovacic, Arbeloa, Jese, Danilo.
Sporting Gijón: Cuéllar; Lora, Luis, Meré, Isma; Sergio, Cases; Jony, Halilovic, Menéndez; Guerrero
Subs: García, Guitián, Carmona, Sanabria, Pérez, Rachid, Ndi.
📷 ¿Vas a animar al Sporting en el Bernabéu? 🔴⚪️ 📢 Comparte tus fotos en el hashtag #RSGenMadrid ¡¡Vamos, guajes!! 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/e22BzKKX2V
— Real Sporting (@realsporting) January 17, 2016
Sporting fans arrive at the Bernabéu ...
Preamble
Hola! Zinedine Zidane made a pretty handy start to life as the Real Madrid head coach, trouncing Deportivo La Coruña 5-0, a victory equivalent to a good old fashioned headbutt. Amazing to think then, the Welsh whiz Gareth Bale bagged himself a hat-trick and Karim Benzema, who just can’t stay out of the limelight at the moment, also helped himself to a brace, with Zidane calling the shots himself. That’s right, a one-man band. That other Zidane-looking chap, patrolling the touchline, fit with a Madrid tracksuit was anything but an assistant to the France legend. David Bettoni, a childhood friend of the Madrid coach, is merely the waterboy, a nobody and in official speak, ‘a part of the technical team that serves the first team and assists the head coach.’ ‘Bettoni is not the assistant coach,’ Madrid quipped in a 76-word club statement. Catalan newspaper Mundo went one step further, pointing out that Bettoni does not even hold a Uefa Pro Licence for goodness sake! An amateur! At least we have that cleared up. But Zidane’s doing just fine and so far, so good.
More pressing news shook the frame of the Bernabéu in the week, too. Madrid and Barcelona can’t spend any big bucks on any players over the next two windows, delaying moves for David de Gea and Eden Hazard for a few months at least. Madrid have been fined around one week of Gareth Bale’s wages for their overzealous transfer dealings. Real director general José Ángel Sánchez labelled the ban “absolutely unjustified” and “totally unexpected”, saying he had “high hopes” of overturning it on appeal. Zidane is not a happy chappy about it either. He reckons Fifa’s punishment is ‘absurd’.
So, to the game itself. Madrid have slammed home 20 goals from their last four matches. They’re oozing with confidence. Meanwhile, Gijón have lost their last four and are second-bottom in La Liga. A little maths and common sense calculates there should only be one winner ...
Kick-off: 3pm
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Ben will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Sid Lowe on Atlético Madrid’s latest title tilt:
At 3 o’clock on Sunday afternoon Real Madrid begin the second half of the Spanish league season against Sporting Gijón and at 7.30pm Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao. Between them they have eight of the players on the Fifa Team of the Year, announced in Zurich last Monday. Between them, kicking off at 5.15pm in the Canary Islands, are also Atlético Madrid, who did not have a single player in that XI. Between them? Ahead of them, in fact.
Atlético travel to Las Palmas knowing they will be top of the table, whatever has just happened at the Bernabéu. If they win, they know they will stay top too, regardless of events at the Camp Nou. The first “title” of 2016 is theirs. They go into the second half of the season four points clear of Real and two ahead of Barça, proclaimed Spain’s winter champions as league leaders at the halfway stage, a kind of European apertura; the question now is, can they be actual champions?
There is no trophy for being winter champions and there is a caveat here too: because of the World Club Cup Barcelona have a game in hand, which they will play against Sporting Gijón in February. Win that and Barcelona will be a point ahead of Atlético. But there is still something significant in this. Spain’s seasons are split in half, with fixtures repeated in the same order, meaning Atlético are top (or at worse a point off) having played everyone once. They have not been winter champions since 1996 – and that year they won the double, with Diego Simeone the club’s captain.
