Bale Double Helps Benitez to First Madrid Win

Local Editor

Gareth Bale silenced his critics by scoring twice as Rafael Benitez got his first win as Real Madrid coach with a 5-0 thrashing of Real Betis.

Benitez's men had been held to an embarrassing 0-0 draw by newly promoted Sporting Gijon last weekend, but there was to be no repeat as Bale headed home James Rodriguez's cross inside two minutes.

Rodriguez then fired an audacious free-kick from a narrow angle into the far corner of the net to double the advantage seven minutes before the break.

Bale turned provider at the start of the second period for Karim Benzema to head home the third before Rodriguez produced another spectacular effort with an overhead kick to make it 4-0.

Betis had a great opportunity to at least mark their visit to the Bernabeu with a consolation when Raphael Varane was penalized for upending Jorge Molina.

However, Keylor Navas made the most of his opportunity despite the ongoing speculation that Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea could join Madrid in the coming days by diving low to his left to save Ruben Castro's penalty.

And Bale had the final word with a fierce left-footed effort that clipped the post on its way into the net.

Source: News Agencies, edited by website team