Real Madrid cruised to a 6-0 victory over Turkish side Galatasaray at the Santiago Bernabeau. Los Blancos now sit second in Group A, five points behind Paris Saint-Germain.
Here are five things we took away from Zidane’s side in Matchday 4.
1. The game was over in the first 10 minutes
Real Madrid’s newest Brazilian sensation Rodyrgo scored two goals in the first 7 minutes of the match to kickstart the club’s dominant display at home.
The two quick goals sucked the life of the Galatasaray side, who never recovered from going down so early.
“To score 6 goals and concede 0 – I feel content,” said Zidane after the match.
“If this is the XI that I like? Yes I like it but maybe in the next game there will be another XI with different players. Everyone will play a part.”
2. Teenage wonderkid Rodrygo’s put on a record-breaking performance
At 18 years and 301 days old, Rodrygo has become the youngest ever Brazilian goalscorer in Champions League history.
He’s also the youngest ever player to score a perfect UCL hat-trick, knocking goals in with his left foot, right foot, and head. Rodrygo joins an exclusive club in becoming one of three 18-year-olds to score a hat trick in the UCL — Raul and Wayne Rooney are the two others.
The wonderkid also set up Benzema for a goal in the 44th minute.
At this point, Rodrygo is looking to be the superior, more complete player than his teammate Vinicius Jr.
3. “Mature” Benzema shines in Ronaldo’s absence
What more can we say about the durability of Karim Benzema at Real Madrid?
Now in his tenth season with Los Blancos, the French forward scored two more goals tonight to bring up his tally to 66 total Champions League goals. He’s the third player to score 50 Champions League goals for Real Madrid after Raul and Ronaldo.
With the brace, Benzema also joins Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to score in 15 straight Champions League seasons.
“His numbers speak for themselves,” Zidane told Marca in the post-game interview.
“We know all about his quality, and his important role in the team.”
“Nothing has really changed after Cristiano left, as Benzema has matured.”
“He has taken on a leadership role this season, and his off field changes. including becoming a father, have been reflected in his form.”
4. The Bale soap opera continues…
Forward Gareth Bale was again absent from Real Madrid’s squad for tonight’s match despite making himself available for Wale’s upcoming 2020 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Hungary.
It’s now been a whole month since Bale hit the pitch due to a calf injury suffered in a Euro 2020 qualifier on October 13.
“We don’t prepare Bale so he plays for Wales. At the moment he isn’t even prepared to play for us. He isn’t even training right. It’s his country’s right to call him up. You can’t doubt him. The first to suffer is him. The shame is he hasn’t recovered yet,” said Zidane
Speculation continues to mount on the 30-year-old’s future with the black and white with this week’s revelation that Real Madrid will offer £70m cash plus Gareth Bale for Raheem Sterling.
Zidane has categorically denied the claim he wants Bale gone in January, telling the press yesterday that “Everybody is saying I don’t want Bale here and I want him to leave in January. That’s nonsense. Nobody can put fake words in my mouth.”
After that perfect hat-trick performance from Rodrygo, maybe Real Madrid should move on from Bale after all.
5. Marcelo gets injured, again
31-year-old Marcelo can’t catch a break.
After a return to good form, supplying two assists to Rodrygo tonight (Marcelo is the only defender in Champions League history to register 20+ assists), Marca is reporting that the left-back exited the match in the 42nd minute due to an injury to his left leg.
Real’s new signing, Ferland Mendy, replaced the Brazilian for the rest of the game.
Madrid fans will be hoping that Marcelo makes a prompt return, as he said of the team earlier this month.
“I have one final message to those who doubted us: Real Madrid will be back. You can put that on a poster Stick it in your wall Pray to it every night WE WILL BE BACK.”
