Gareth Bale struck on his return to the Real Madrid starting lineup in a 5-1 demolition of Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
The Welsh man had only spent nine minutes on the pitch when he turned Toni Kroos’ low cross in the back of the net.
Sergio Ramos doubled the Madrid’s lead from a corner but Alberto Bueno reduced Vallecano’s arrears before the break capitalising on a James Rodriguez error.
Kroos opened his Real goal-scoring account to restore their two-goal cushion. Benzema tapped home Real’s fourth and Ronaldo registered his 23rd goal of the season to round off scores.
Bale, who made his return as a second-half substitute in the Champions League win over Liverpool last Tuesday, replaced Isco in Real’s starting XI after recovering from a muscle injury that had kept him on the sidelines for five games.
The Welshman got off the mark on a flier arriving early to poke home the hosts’ first from Kroos’ cross.
Ramos doubled Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s advantage five minutes to the break when the ball fortunately looped off his thigh past Cristian Alvarez.
Rodriguez provided an array of hope for the visitor on the stroke of half-time, delivering the ball straight to Leo Baptistao’s foot. The Atletico Madrid loanee passed the ball to Alberto Bueno, who rounded goalkeeper and pass into the gaping net.
Baptistao had an effort ruled for offside in the 55th minute but that was all Vallecano could muster as the ‘Los Blancos’ upped the antic.
Kroos curled home a precise low finish from a Ronaldo cross seconds later, and Benzema- though appeared offside- poked in the world footballer of the year’s assist.
Ronaldo grabbed one for himself seven minutes from time as his weak shot snuck underneath Alvarez’s body into the net.
