Ronaldo at the double for Madrid

Posted Sunday, November 23, 2014 by PA

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid strolled to a 4-0 Primera Division win over Eibar.

James Rodriguez gave Real a lead which was added to just before half-time by Ronaldo.

Karim Benzema made it 3-0 with 20 minutes left and Ronaldo's penalty rounded off a comfortable success and took him to 25 goals for the season, 20 in La Liga.

Real threatened first when goalkeeper Xabier Irureta tipped Gareth Bale's free-kick onto the top of the crossbar, Sergio Ramos lashing the rebound a long way over.

The opener came when Ronaldo superbly tricked his way into the box down the right wing. His initial cross was met by Benzema, who appeared to be offside and was well off target with his flick, but the Portugal forward stabbed the ball back across to the back post where Rodriguez headed in.

Just after the half-hour mark, Iker Casillas stretched out a foot to save from Saul Berjon and preserve Real's lead.

Another Ronaldo cross was fumbled by Irureta, who then made an excellent save when an unmarked Ramos swept fellow centre-back Pepe's knockdown towards goal from six yards.

Bale was wrongly flagged offside before volleying straight at Irureta but Real doubled their lead in the 43rd minute.

Dani Carvajal's cut-back was just behind Ronaldo but he managed to dig out a shot which bounced up, possibly off the heel of his standing foot, and looped inside the near post.

The goal saw Ronaldo complete the set in terms of scoring against every opponent he has faced in his Primera Division career.

It was a quiet opening to the second half, with Ronaldo's shot and Bale's cross equally wayward and Eibar first to seriously threaten through Manu Del Moral.

Isco sidefooted wide from the edge of the box but Real eventually netted their third with 20 minutes remaining.

Marcelo battled for possession on the byline and Rodriguez just about kept the ball in play, hooking it back to Benzema who hammered an emphatic right-foot finish into the top corner.

Ronaldo was given the chance to to extend the lead first with a free-kick and, when that was handled in the wall by Raul Albentosa, a penalty which he tucked inside the left-hand post.

Benzema's appeals for a second penalty were waved away before, from Eibar's last attack, substitute Dejan Lekic sent an acrobatic volley over the bar.

The result kept league leaders Real four points ahead of city rivals Atletico Madrid, who earlier beat Malaga 3-1. This was their 14th victory in a row.