Real Madrid 7 - 1 Sporting de Gijón
Rafael Van der Vaart scored a hat-trick in a game that saw Real Madrid follow in Barcelona's footsteps and run amok while Raul scored a brace and Gonzalo Higuaín and Arjen Robben add one apiece to complete the rout.
Having conceded six at home to the Blaugrana last weekend, hopes were high that the visitors could restore some pride in teh Bernabéu even if they did not think that they could win, but so poor were the defence that they were soundly beaten.
Sporting's supporters never stopped singing, even at the final whistle, and they deserve better because although their team enjoyed a good spell of possession, they were completely undone by some clinical finishing from the home team.
Van der Vaart had already endeared himself to the Madrid faithful, but his range of touches in front of goal must have convinced everyone that the summer signing could be one of the purchases of the season given his trio of finishes.
After chasing Cristiano Ronaldo all summer, Los Merengues made an approach for the Dutchman almost as an afterthought, but even the Portuguese star that Ramón Calderón craved would have been proud of his performance.
The final score may have been emphatic, but it was even more surprising given the fact that the visitors actually enjoyed a period of possession in the opening half that showed that they had not gone to the Bernabéu just to defend.
While that was a brave decision it also proved to be something of a foolish one because their forwards lacked penetration and the ability to find space for shots and were soon shown how it was done by Real Madrid's array of top quality goals.
In the 18th minute, the hosts when straight through the middle of Sporting's defence with Rubén De la Red lifting a pass into Raúl who flicked the ball on to Van der Vaart to finish with some aplomb as he volleyed the ball across the keeper and into the net.
It was swift and punishing and it was evident that just that one goal had rocked the away team, even if nobody present expected a collapse of such a magnitude and in such a short space of time.
Just after the half-hour mark De la Red cut the ball back where Van der Vaart back heeled it and was delighted to see it clip Iván Hernández and head into the far corner of the net and four minutes later Robben looked up from the right of the area and picked out Higuaín on the opposite side with a low pass that the Argentinian struck first time into the far corner.
If that did not knock the wind out of Sporting then a minute after the break Robben played the ball into Raul and he in turn clipped it back for Van der Vaart to slot home a sublime finish from 20 yards out.
The two changes made by the Asturian side had made no difference at all and the fourth goal left the visitors facing yet another serious reverse only a few days Barcelona had reinvigorated their season at El Molinón.
Number five came in the 51st minute as Van der Vaart controlled the ball on his chest on the halfway line and rolled a pass through for Robben to race on to before rounding the keeper and slotting home.
Raúl has been criticised for his lack of goals and openly admitted that he knows that in the coming seasons he will have to spend more and more time on the bench, but he gave a stark reminder that those days maybe some time away just now with a quick-fire brace.
Robben sent a drive towards the top corner and the keeper made a superb stop but he palmed it back into the centre rather than out and Raúl prodded in from close range in the 59th minute and then the Madrid skipper played a pass into Saviola and then accepted the return before looping the ball over the keeper before wheeling away to kiss his ring.
Before the striker's double Sporting actually scored when Camacho edged down the right side of the area and after pausing he rolled the ball into the middle for Kike Mateo to sweep inside Casillas' near post.
That goal was met by a huge cheer, but by the time Raúl had finished there was little left to do but to see out the remaining minutes and both teams were content to see out the last few minutes without making it any more embarrassing.
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