Real Madrid moved into second position in the La Liga table with a 4-0 win over struggling Almeria at the Bernabeu this evening.
Angel di Maria opened the scoring in the first period, before Gareth Bale, Isco and Alvaro Morata added to Madrid's tally in the second 45 minutes.
Los Blancos are now level on points with league leaders Atletico Madrid - who have a game in hand - while Almeria remain in 19th position, two points from safety with five games of the campaign remaining.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two La Liga rivals.
Match statistics
Real Madrid
Shots: 29
On target: 13
Possession: 62%
Corners: 9
Fouls: 7
Almeria
Shots: 5
On target: 1
Possession: 38%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 7
Was the result fair?
In truth, it was just about the most one-sided 90 minutes of football that you will ever see at this level. Madrid scored four times without reply on their own patch, but it could have been seven or eight such was their dominance over an Almeria side that looked short of ideas and intensity for long spells. Almeria were certainly not expected to take anything from the Bernabeu, but their lack of effort would have worried their supporters. It was a routine home three points for Madrid, who have moved above Barcelona in the table following the Catalan outfit's 1-0 defeat at Granada earlier in the evening.
Real Madrid's performance
Due to injuries and suspensions, head coach Carlo Ancelotti was without a number of his regular XI this evening. However, such is the strength of his squad, the Italian was able to call upon quality replacements. It was a frustrating opening 28 minutes for Los Blancos until Di Maria opened the scoring, but from that moment, it was all one-way traffic. The title hopefuls could afford to play in second gear for much of the contest and but for some poor finishing, would have further improved their goal difference at the Bernabeu. The likes of Nacho, Raphael Varane, Asier Illarramendi and Isco all gained more valuable minutes, while highly-rated youngster Diego Llorente was also given a taste of the action late on. It was just about as comfortable a night as Ancelotti could have ever imagined at this stage of the season.
Almeria's performance
Toothless, unimaginative and laboured are all words that could be used to describe relegation-threatened Almeria, who remain in 19th position in the table. Of course, there was a serious gap in quality between the two teams, but their overall work-rate at the Bernabeu was extremely poor. The former Segunda side managed just one shot on target throughout the contest and would have conceded a lot more than four goals had their goalkeeper Esteban not been in brilliant form. Even at 1-0, Almeria never offered the impression that they were capable of taking something from the contest and it was almost as if they wanted to get the match out of the way as soon as possible. They were up against a seriously under-strength Madrid XI this evening, but were completely and utterly blown away in the Spanish capital.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Isco: It has been a difficult six months for Isco, with the Spaniard struggling to hold down a regular spot in the Madrid XI due to the form of others. However, the playmaker has been given the chance to impress in recent weeks and continued his solid run of form with a fine display this evening. The former Malaga midfielder capped a terrific all-round performance with a goal in the second period, but it was his ability in tight spaces that impressed most in Madrid.
Biggest gaffe
Karim Benzema has been a big part of Madrid's success this season - scoring 23 times in all competitions - but the Frenchman had a bit of a horror show this evening. The forward had three or four golden chances in the second period, but fluffed his lines on each occasion. When the striker has been good this season, he has been really good, but he had an absolute nightmare at the Bernabeu in this particular contest.
Referee performance
Incredibly, referee Juan Martinez failed to award a single yellow card this evening, which is an indication of events at the Bernabeu. Neither side were too interested in turning the match into a physical battle, which meant that Martinez's contribution was extremely minimal. The Spanish official had a couple of penalty calls to make in the second period, but turned away protests from the home side. Overall, it was a comfortable night for Martinez in the capital.
What next?
Real Madrid: Los Blancos face Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening.
Almeria: Almeria will attempt to return to winning ways in La Liga when they host Celta Vigo next Sunday.
Matt Law
