adminReal Madrid are 90 minutes from being crowned the best team on the planet after beating Mexican side Cruz Azul 4-0 to reach tomorrow’s World Club Cup final.
With their 21st straight win they won their semi-final in Marrakech to set-up a potential showdown with the Copa Libertadores winners San Lorenzo who first need to beat Auckland City in Wednesday’s second semi-final.
Madrid started like a team that had won their last 20 games and could have been ahead inside three minutes when full back Dani Carvajal tore down the right and crossed to Karim Benzema. The Frenchman headed the ball down to Cristiano Ronaldo inside the six-yard box but his shot was saved at point-blank range by Jesus Corona in the Cruz Azul goal.
The Mexican keeper was less impressive on 15 minutes when he came for Toni Kroos’ corner and missed it, allowing Sergio Ramos to head it into the empty net.
Carvajal had won the free-kick down the right and Kroos’ perfect delivery was dispatched by Ramos, the man who got the all-important Champions League equaliser against Atletico Madrid, that helped put Real Madrid in this competition. It was Kroos’ eighth assist of the season. He is still a long way from conversing fluently with his team-mates in Spanish but the understanding on the pitch is word perfect. At this stage of the campaign he looks like the signing of the summer.
From the next Kroos corner Bale jumped to make contact and was punched by defender Hernan Bernardello as he landed; despite his complaints to the referee play continued.
Kroos almost scored himself on the half hour with a stinging shot that Corona pushed away. Then minutes from the break Benzema got the second, turning in the ever-dangerous Carvajal’s cross from the right. The full back was pushing Kroos for man-of-the-match and Benzema’s execution was worthy of the assist.
When Cruz Azul looked as if they had found a way back into the game Iker Casillas slammed the door shut.
Ramos was harshly judged to have brought down Mariano Pavone but when Gerardo Torrado stepped up to take the spot-kick Casillas guessed right and pushed it round his post.
He was up to the challenge again moments later when a poor back pass from Asier Illaramendi let in Pavone but the Spain keeper came out to make the save. Five minutes into the second half Gareth Bale made it 3-0, heading in Ronaldo’s cross after the Portuguese had been played in by Benzema. It was a BBC production with Benzema starting the move, Bale ending it and Cristiano providing the perfect centre.
He then tried to score the most audacious of goals for what would have been 4-0. Bale went down the left and crossed and Ronaldo caught the ball perfectly with what can only be described as a “rabona” volley but Corona made the save.
Isco scored a glorious fourth, tip-toeing through the centre of the Cruz Azul defence and shooting past Corona.
Ramos was taken off in the second half holding the back of his thigh but Real replaced him with the brilliant Raphael Varane. And in another show of their immense strength in depth two more substitutes, Jese and Sami Khedira, almost combined for the fifth but the German’s header hit a post. — Daily Mail.
Online Reporter