No Goal For Rolando As Madrid Scores 5 Against Warsaw

 

Real Madrid remain second in Champions League Group F after a thrilling 5-1 win over a spirited Legia Warsaw at the Bernabeu on Tuesday. First-half goals from Gareth Bale, a Tomasz Jodlowiec own goal and Marco Asensio put Real in control despite Miroslav Radovic's 22nd-minute penalty threatening to spark a fightback for the away side.

Substitutes Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Morata put the game beyond doubt in the second half as Zinedine Zidane's side cruised to victory. The result means Real Madrid are level with Borussia Dortmund on seven points, while Legia remain rooted to the bottom of the table with no points from their opening three matches.

Keylor Navas saved smartly from Jodlowiec after nine minutes and Vadis Odjidja struck the base of the post before Bale opened the scoring. The Welshman collected the ball on the right and teased full-back Adam Hlousek, who was unwilling to make a challenge, allowing Bale to cut inside on his left foot and strike firmly across the goalkeeper and inside the far post.

Real doubled their lead four minutes later in fortunate circumstances as Karim Benzema fed Marcelo on the edge of the area and his shot, which appeared to be heading wide, was deflected cruelly past the helpless Arkadiusz Malarz by Jodlowiec but Legia were back in the game just two minutes later when Danilo carelessly lunged at Radovic inside the area and the lone striker picked himself up to send Navas the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Ronaldo, who remains two short of 100 European goals, showed great skill to set up Real's fifth, playing in Morata to take a touch and strike low under Malarz at the front post. That sealed a dominant scoreline for Real Madrid ahead of the return meeting in Warsaw on Wednesday November 2 and despite the result, the Poles will take heart from a determined display in Madrid.