Reuters
Madrid, August 30: Real Madrid got their season up and running when Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez struck twice in a 5-0 drubbing of Real Betis Saturday while La Liga champions Barcelona edged Malaga 1-0 to maintain their perfect start.
New coach Rafa Benitez restored James to the starting lineup against last season’s second division winners after he was controversially left out in the 0-0 draw at another promoted side, Sporting Gijon, on the opening weekend.
The Colombian was in scintillating form at the Santiago Bernabeu here and crossed for Bale to head home in only the second minute.
James smashed in a superb free kick before halftime and Bale crossed for Karim Benzema to make it 3-0 two minutes into the second half.
The Columbian then fired in an acrobatic overhead kick three minutes later as Real put Seville-based Betis to the sword.
Betis had a chance to pull a goal back when Raphael Varane conceded a penalty for a foul on substitute Jorge Molina but Keylor Navas saved Ruben Castro’s weak 61st-minute effort.
Bale, who overshadowed an out-of-sorts Cristiano Ronaldo, sealed a resounding win with a long-range effort from 25yards out, a minute from time that cannoned in off a post.
Earlier, Thomas Vermaelen scored his first goal for Barca in their laboured win over Malaga at the Nou Camp, a second consecutive 1-0 victory for the European champions.
With a fit-again Neymar restored to the attack alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez for the first time this season, Barca looked to their normally lethal South American trio to break down stubborn Malaga.
However, it was Vermaelen who finally broke through following relentless pressure when he hammered a loose ball into the net from a 73rd-minute corner.
The Belgium defender suffered an injury-plagued first season at Barca last term after joining from Arsenal.
“I didn’t celebrate the goal because I am not used to being in these situations and I don’t know how to,” Vermaelen told reporters.
