Hundred-up Real create La Liga history

Posted Monday, May 14, 2012 by ESPN

Real Madrid became the first team in the history of the Spanish league to reach 100 points for a top-flight season as they crushed Real Mallorca.

Jose Mourinho's La Liga champions signed off for the summer with a typically imposing performance as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema set them on the way before half-time, with Mesut Ozil adding a second-half double.

Gonzalo Castro replied for Mallorca, who entered the game with the hope that victory could carry them into a Europa League place but found their opponents determined to end the season in style.

Ronaldo, Benzema and Ozil are primed to light up Euro 2012 this summer but before being able to consider the finals in Poland and Ukraine there was work to do for Mourinho's team, who have toppled Barcelona to take the league title by nine points.

Approaching their final assignment on 97 points from 37 games, having lost just twice, Madrid never looked like easing into the summer.

Ronaldo headed the home side ahead after 19 minutes when he met Marcelo's cross from the left, rising well to plant the ball into the right corner.

It was 2-0 four minutes later after an intricate build-up led to a fine goal for Benzema, his 21st in the league this season.

Benzema fed a smart ball into Ronaldo and kept running, with the ball relayed to Gonzalo Higuain and then into the path of the French striker who raced around the outside of the visiting defence and passed the ball into the bottom right.

Dudu Aouate then denied both early scorers with saves in quick succession to keep Mallorca just two goals behind at the interval.

Higuain laid the ball off to Ozil for Madrid's third goal, which came in the 49th minute, with the Germany international curling a shot into the far left corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Castro drilled a fierce left-footed shot inside Iker Casillas' near right post to cut into Madrid's lead, but Ozil soon restored the three-goal cushion, expertly pulling away at the far post to meet another cross from Marcelo and sidefooting the ball on the volley across the six-yard box and into the left corner.

Angel Di Maria came off the bench for the final 23 minutes and threatened to add a fifth Madrid goal but saw his long-range strike turned wide by Aouate.

Madrid remained goal-hungry until the end but had to settle for four.