Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez both scored twice as Rafael Benitez enjoyed an emphatic win over Real Betis in his first home game as Real Madrid coach.
Bale headed Madrid in front from a second-minute Rodriguez cross and completed the scoring with a superb long-range strike a minute from time.
Rodriguez scored a stunning first-half free-kick and also netted with an overhead kick after Karim Benzema’s header had made it 3-0.
Betis’s Ruben Castro missed a penalty.
Former Liverpool coach Benitez needed an impressive performance after his first game in charge brought only a 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon.
And his new side delivered it after Bale’s early strike immediately had removed any pressure.
The only surprise of the night was that Cristiano Ronaldo did not get on the score sheet
Last season’s leading La Liga scorer was denied several times by former Real Madrid goalkeeper Antonio Adan.
But Adan had no answer to the accuracy of Rodriguez and Bale, who must have removed any doubts about his immediate future at the Bernabeu Stadium with a display that brought him two goals and an assist for Benzema’s goal two minutes into the second half.
Real Betis, who won promotion last season under former West Bromwich Albion manager Pepe Mel, were denied a consolation goal when Navas kept out Castro’s penalty after Raphael Varane was harshly judged to have fouled Jorge Molina. BBC
