Viktoria Plzen 0 Real Madrid 5: Karim Benzema at the double as Champions League holders run riot

REUTERS
Standard Sport7 November 2018

Real Madrid took a huge step towards clinching a spot in the Champions League knockout stage on Wednesday with a 5-0 rout of Viktoria Plzen.

Karim Benzema scored two of four first-half goals for the Spanish giants, with Casemiro and Gareth Bale also getting on the scoresheet.

Toni Kroos netted midway through the second half to seal a third straight win for the European champions under interim coach Santiago Solari.

Benzema opened the scoring in the 20th minute when he beat two defenders before slipping a shot through the legs of Plzen goalkeeper Ales Hruska.

Casemiro doubled the lead three minutes later when the Brazilian outjumped his marker and headed home from a corner.

AP

An unmarked Benzema notched his second goal in the 37th minute with a redirected header assisted by Gareth Bale to give Real a 3-0 lead and Benzema returned the favour minutes later when he flicked on a cross for Bale to sweep home a volley.

Kroos completed the scoring in the 67th minute when he cooly chipped over the keeper after a counter-attack.

In Pictures | Champions League gameweek 4 | Nov 6-7, 2018

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Madrid now top the group on the head-to-head record after Roma beat CSKA Moscow 2-1 in the early kick-off. They will qualify with a win against Roma on matchday five.

Additional reporting from the Press Association.

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