5-0: Real Madrid remain in the hunt for title after goalfest

A double from Bale an one each from Cristiano Ronaldo, Carvajal, who scored his first goal for the club, and Morata sealed the win against Rayo at the Santiago Bernabéu.

"We need to react”, said Ancelotti to the press the day before the game against Rayo. His side did not disappoint on a wet night: it was a goalfest four days before the visit of Borussia Dortmund to the Bernabéu.

The first goal came after 15 minutes, although The Whites might have been ahead sooner following a Benzema one-on-one after three minutes, plus a miscued clearance by Arbilla from a Coentrão cross which almost went into his own goal. Bale cut inside and played in Cristiano Ronaldo, who received the ball, cut inside the area at full speed and beat Rubén with a shot across goal.

Despite having deserved it sooner, Real Madrid had to wait until after the break to double their advantage. It was a surprise scorer who popped up in the 55th minute. Bale crossed from the right, Cristiano Ronaldo took the ball down with his back to goal and layed it off to Carvajal, who beat Rubén with a left-footed effort. It was the academy graduate's first ever goal for Madrid. 

Four goals in an outstanding second half

Bale, who had come close to scoring in the first half, scored the third. The counterattack was started by Cristiano, continued by Di María and finished by the Welshman in the 68th minute. Two minutes later Bale grabbed his second. Pepe headed a Trashorras corner away, and the ball fell at Bale's feet, he ran from the edge of his own box, shaking of Rat and smashing in from the edge of the box.

That wasn't the end, either. Morata, who had come onto the pitch in minute number 73 for Benzema, produced a work of art five minutes later. The academy graduate collected the ball and curled the ball into the far corner with his right foot, past a hapless Rubén. Five goals for, none against is just the injection Madrid needed four days before the visit of Borussia Dortmund.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Rayo Vallecano - La Liga - 29/03/2014

Cristiano Ronaldo is named an Emirates global ambassador

“It's the best airline in the world and I am proud to be part of this family”, stated Real Madrid's striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo was named a global ambassador of Emirates in an event that took place in the press room at the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium. The Portuguese striker, who shares the honour with Pelé, declared: “It's the best airline in the world and I am proud to be part of the Emirates family”. Before the end of the event, Ronaldo received a model of an A380 plane and presented Fernando Suárez de Góngora, the company's director in Spain, with a Real Madrid shirt he had signed.

Cristiano Ronaldo also spoke about the fun advert he filmed with Pelé for the occasion: “It was very special and good fun. I had a great time and the advert shows that it was fun to film. Filming on a plane was fantastic. I really want to fly on that plane again. The quality is astonishing. Being with a legend like Pelé is spectacular. Generations change and he belonged to a fantastic generation. I was able to show him the respect we have for his generation. Pelé always set an example to me”.

“People have to follow their dreams. It's not easy. It is good to want it and you have to work constantly. I love being a footballer and the most important thing is to be yourself”.

“When I was a kid I looked up to the players in the Portugal team and I wanted to be like them. My goal was to play for Portugal like Figo and Rui Costa. I played my first match at 18”.

Portugal at the World Cup

“We have a good team but you also have Spain, Brazil, Germany and Argentina. They are all favourites and that is good for us because there is no pressure on us. I am very confident, but we are going to take it step by step and match by match. The match against Germany will be difficult, but I think we can have a good World Cup”.

“I'll try and watch as many matches as I can. It's a fantastic competition in one month. We'll be following Brazil and above all Spain, where I have a lot of friends”.

Cristiano Ronaldo is named an Emirates global ambassador

2-1: The Sánchez Pizjuán watches Real Madrid stumble in the fight for the Liga

The Whites had chances to win but were made to pay for some poor finishing against Sevilla.

It was a lively start in the Sánchez Pizjuán. In less than half an hour there were already two goals, one per team, and a number of chances, most of them for the visitors. Bale produced the first moment of danger with a shot from the edge of the box after 3 minutes and then it was the turn of Benzema, who was met by Beto in the 7th and 11th minutes. Three minutes later Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring. The Portuguese player's free-kick hit Bacca's arm and caught the home keeper off-guard.

Real Madrid were not only dominating the match, they also had the lead. But their celebrations did not last long. Sevilla made the most of a counter-attack that Bacca finished off to level the match when the clock read 19. The home team had found the net with their first shot on target. The deadlock remained until the break, although the Whites deserved to go into the dressing room with a lead, especially given Bale's one-on-one with Beto in the 43rd minute and Cristiano Ronaldo's shot against the woodwork immediately afterwards. The Portuguese striker turned what looked like a lost cause into a lob that beat the Andalusian keeper, hit the post and would have crossed the goal line had Pareja not cleared it.

In the second half the visitors came undone. While in the first they deserved more, half way through the second it was more of the same. The home team saw little of the ball and the Whites were the only ones to create any danger. Ancelotti's men did not have luck on their side and, just as in the first 45 minutes, Sevilla scored with their first shot on goal. It was Bacca again who found the net, this time in the 72nd minute.

Real Madrid continued to fight and gave their all until the end against a Sevilla who could do nothing but sit back and hand the ball back to their opponent, but they paid dearly for a lack of precision in front of goal, eventually recording an undeserved loss in the Sánchez Pizjuán.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Sevilla - La Liga - 26/03/2014

Cristiano Ronaldo: “Maybe they don't want Real Madrid to win this Liga”

“We are fine, you cannot give up the fight because of one game”, said the Portuguese.

Cristiano Ronaldo was a key player in the clash with Barcelona and scored the Whites' third. The striker spoke about his feelings on the Clásico: “We are sad because we knew we deserved more, but the fight goes on. It is difficult because a lot of people did not want us to win and Barcelona would have been out of it. Maybe they don't want Real Madrid to win this Liga. I've been here for five years, so I know how a lot of things are and I hope to win it regardless of this”.

"It's a feeling of sadness after being 3-2 up and controlling the game. The referee made some unbelievable decisions, but you have to carry on. We were unlucky with everything that happened, but we are still ahead of them and the Liga goes on. We have only lost one game, it is all open and I think the team is fine".

The referee

“There were a lot of errors in one match. In a Real Madrid-Barcelona you have to have a referee who is up to the game. I don't want to look for excuses but if you look at the 90 minutes the referee made a lot of mistakes. Really bad. In my opinion he was not up to a match of this stature. Hopefully it won't be the same in the final of the Copa del Rey”.

“I looked at him and he was pale, that's because he was so nervous and he was unable to make the right decisions. A referee has to be relaxed in order to do as well as possible. It makes me think that matches are not only won on the pitch, but also with a little help off of it".

Message for the fans

“Real Madrid is the biggest club and that creates a lot of envy around it. You can say that the treatment is the same, but it's not. Real Madrid is the best in the world and it will fight until the end. The fans were great, they spurred us on, and I have to thank them for their support since the start of the season. I believe we are going to win the league”.

3-4: Real Madrid lose in a controversy-packed Clásico

The three penalties given by Undiano Mallenco in the second half and Ramos' sending off in the 63rd minute changed the course of a game that was 2-2 at half-time.

The match the whole world had been waiting for was packed with controversy. There were seven goals, but the second half was dominated by one man: Undiano Mallenco. The referee awarded three penalties after the break, one to Real Madrid and two to Barcelona, and gave Sergio Ramos his marching orders in the 63rd minute, when the Whites were 3-2 up. The Clásico got underway with two timid shots, one from Neymar after 4 minutes and another from Benzema in the 5th, but they were closely followed by the first goal of the match, the handiwork of Iniesta. It was time to mount a comeback, the only good news was that the home side had practically the entire match to do so.

If there is one thing that sets Real Madrid apart, it is that they never stop fighting, and thanks to the Di María-Benzema partnership, all they needed were fifteen minutes to turn the match on its head. Their second goal was practically a carbon copy of the first, only the finish from the Frenchman, who had been fighting a minor injury all week, was different. The equaliser came through a header when the clock read 20 after a cross from the Argentine and for the second Benzema cushioned the ball on his knee and coolly volleyed past Valdés in the 24th minute. He could even have grabbed another two minutes later. Another assist from Di María and a sublime shot from the left foot of Benzema was cleared off the line by Piqué.

It was a hectic match, anything could have happened and the chance to make it 3-1 was followed by the equaliser three minutes before the break. Neymar combined with Messi and the Argentine slotted past Diego López from the penalty spot. El Clásico was level again after a first half that was as intense as it was exceptional and there was plenty more excitement in store in the second. In fact, after ten minutes of play, Real Madrid took the lead once more. Cristiano Ronaldo was brought down by Alves as he entered the box and the Portuguese striker converted the penalty.

Key moments
The celebrations did not last long, ten minutes to be exact. Neymar burst into the box and tangled with Ramos as he pulled the trigger, the Brazilian hit the deck. Messi converted the penalty in the 65th minute to balance the scores once more, although the teams were now anything but balanced; the Whites' defender had received his marching orders. Madrid faced nearly half an hour of Clásico one man down.

Ancelotti had to change systems and brought Varane on for Benzema. The Whites put up a heroic resistance until Undiano Mallenco pointed to the penalty-spot once more as Iniesta was sandwiched between Carvajal and Xabi Alonso. Messi delivered once more from twelve yards in the 84th minute to put a controversial Clásico to bed.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Barcelona - La Liga - 23/03/2014

3-1: Victory and qualification for the Champions League quarter-finals

Cristiano Ronaldo's brace and a goal from Morata closed out a brilliant tie against Schalke, with an aggregate score of 9-2; Jesé's injury was the only sour note of the night.

The Champions League was back in the Bernabéu after an absence of more than three months with a tie that Real Madrid had practically sewn up with its historic 6-1 victory in Germany. It was an eventful start to the game as Jesé had to withdraw with an injury after 5 minutes and was replaced by Bale. The Welshman was at the centre of the move that created the first goal in the 21st minute. Morata brought the ball under his spell on the edge of the box with his back to goal, made space and found Bale, who in turn set up Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese found the back of the net for yet another goal in the competition.

Just as in his last two matches for his team, Cristiano Ronaldo had opened the scoring once more, but Schalke were lucky to level the match when the clock read 31. Hoogland shot, the ball deflected off the boots of Ramos, wrong footing Casillas. From then on the first half was an end-to-end affair and, despite the fact that there were no more goals before the break, both sides had some great chances in front of goal. Morata and Huntelaar were unable to convert their one-on-ones.

Real Madrid wanted to put on a show for the fans and came out dominating in the second half. In fact, in the first ten minutes, they had two notable chances to take the lead, and there should have been a penalty for a clear foul on Morata, but the referee did not give it. Cristiano Ronaldo had the first, but Fährmann dug deep to keep his header out after 51 minutes. The second came in the 54th, when Isco produced a moment of brilliance by feigning his way past two visiting defenders, but the German shot-stopper was up to the task once more.

In the space of two minutes Real Madrid put the match to bed. Cristiano Ronaldo's spectacular run with the ball sticking to his feet in the 74th minute and an even better finish made him the fourth top goal-scorer in the history of the club and gave him his thirteenth goal in the competition. He could even have bagged a hat-trick in the next move, but he hit the crossbar. Bale latched onto the rebound and found Morata, who finally got his just deserts for his hard work throughout.

It could have been an even bigger victory if Ronaldo had not hit the post in the 83rd minute. The Whites are through to the quarters in style, with an aggregate score of 9-2. On Friday they will find out who they will meet in the next round.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Schalke 04 - Champions League - 18/03/2014

Cristiano Ronaldo Training Session - 17/03/2014