Given the size of Barcelona’s lead at the LaLiga summit ahead of this contest, some might have had sympathy with Real’s blasé start on a clement afternoon in the Spanish capital – especially with a Champions League quarter-final tie against Chelsea looming fast. Regardless, the reigning European champions almost had a rude awakening just 10 minutes in, when Roque Mesa struck the woodwork for Valladolid. Carlo Ancelotti’s side reacted fantastically however, and took the lead on 23 minutes, when a clinical counter-attack led by Marco Asensio was finished off by Rodrygo’s composed finish from inside the area.
That goal transformed the Whites’ former apathy into pure red-eyed fury, and Karim Benzema took the role of Pucela’s punisher-in-chief, by striking a quickfire first-half hat-trick. The Frenchman opened his account for the day with a steered header that was followed up by a wonderful 20-yard curling effort, though it was his third that was the pick of the bunch. Rodrygo’s ball into the penalty box had seemingly gone behind Benzema, but he twisted superbly to strike a near-unbelievable overhead kick past Sergio Asenjo.
Even with Real’s well-known ability to destroy many a visitor, nobody in the Valladolid camp had expected a Spanish inquisition of this magnitude – particularly Pacheta, whose triple change at HT produced an immediate element of surprise and fear, with his side emerging strongly and smashing the woodwork once more. That chance aside though, four consecutive goalless outings against Real always looked likely to be stretched to five, in a tepid showing that left ex-Galáctico goalscorer and Valladolid owner Ronaldo Nazário wincing in the stands.
Despite their emphatic lead, Real showed little pity on Pucela, with Rodrygo hitting the woodwork before having a goal ruled out for Vinícius’ handball in the build-up. But the icing was eventually put on the proverbial cake by Asensio and Lucas Vázquez in the closing stages, though a pair of composed side-footed strikes that capped off a monstrous performance from the hosts, while completing the perfect tune-up for Wednesday's crucial Copa del Rey clash with Barcelona.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
