Real Madrid continued their resurgence in La Liga with a comfortable 5-0 victory over struggling Real Mallorca on Sunday.
They took the lead after just eight minutes when Gonzalo Higuain converted from close range, while Cristiano Ronaldo made it two after 22 minutes.
Mallorca continued to struggle in the second period and Higuain and Ronaldo both added to their tally with goals in the latter stages. Meanwhile, Jose Callejon got in on the act in second-half stoppage time.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics:
Mallorca:
Shots 4
On target 0
Possession 36%
Corners 8
Fouls 11
Real Madrid:
Shots 13
On target 8
Possession 64%
Corners 6
Fouls 7
Was the result fair?
If there has been a more one-sided La Liga clash in recent seasons then I would like to see it. Mallorca were as poor as they have been in recent years against an under-par Madrid outfit. The away side stayed in second gear for the vast majority of the match but still managed to score five without reply. That tells you everything that you need to know about the match.
Mallorca's performance
2/10. Mallorca managed just four shots in the entire 90 minutes, without a single one hitting the target. They lined up with intent after naming Giovani Dos Santos wide of Tomer Hemed and Victor, but the three attackers just could not get into the match. Meanwhile, their defending for at least three of Madrid's five goals will be called into question.
Madrid's performance
7/10. Solid, yet unspectacular from Madrid this evening. You got the feeling that they thought they had secured all three points after scoring the second goal and therefore they remained in second gear. It was one of those matches where they could have easily turned on the style at any given moment. It was just paramount that they picked up all three points this evening.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Mesut Ozil: Higuain and Ronaldo will take the plaudits for their two goals, but the German midfielder was in sensational form this evening. It was arguably his best performance this season.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Mallorca's defending left a lot to be desired. The first two goals were down to defensive errors and they will have to improve if they are to end their losing run.
Referee performance
Jose Luis Gonzalez Gonzalez had a very productive 90 minutes of action this evening. He was prepared to let the play flow in the correct areas and kept his cards in his pocket for the most part.
What next?
Mallorca: Mallorca travel to Deportivo La Coruna in the Copa del Rey on Thursday before facing Jose Luis Oltra's side once more in the league on Sunday.
Madrid: Jose Mourinho's side are in Copa del Rey action against Alcoyano on Wednesday before hosting Real Zaragoza in the league next Saturday.
Matt Law
