Ronaldo double leaves Bourne legacy

Real Madrid started their pre-season campaign efficiently with
a comfortable 6-0 win over Bournemouth in evening sun on
Sunday, in front of a sell-out crowd.
Despite facing an outfit who have only recently climbed into
the second tier of English football, Carlo Ancelotti was to take
no prisoners with his starting line-up, deploying his star
players to devastating first-half effect.
Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Sami Khedira, Gonzalo Higuain,
Angel Di Maria and Casemiro gave los Blancos a high-scoring
win, with Bournemouth doing little to threaten their clean
sheet.
Fielding an almost entirely different outfit in either half,
Madrid were to utilise all of their options to victorious, free-
flowing effect.
Bournemouth went close to having a fairytale start, as a
tantalising cross from Brett Pitman was permitted to flash
across the face of goal by Pepe, with striker Lewis Grabban
inches away from poking the unclaimed delivery beyond Diego
Lopez.
The script was to revert to normality soon after, however, as
Ronaldo converted a trademark long-range free-kick on 22
minutes. The Portuguese rattled a dipping effort into the
bottom right corner, leaving Cherries keeper Darryl Flahavan
helplessly sprawled in his goalmouth.
Karim Benzema was then given two chances in quick
succession, but the Frenchman was denied well by
Bournemouth Player of the Year Tommy Elphick. Courtesy of a
miscue from the impressive Elphick, his missed clearance
allowed for Ronaldo to ruthlessly capitalise on the
Englishman's error, skipping past Flahavan in the Bournemouth
penalty area before sliding the ball home.
It was 3-0, as Sami Khedira was allowed time and space to
connect with an Isco corner, despite Cherries' midfielder Shaun
MacDonald failing to clear the Germany international's effort
off the goal-line, giving Real Madrid a deserved half-time lead.
After 15 minutes of respite for the English club, Higuain
smashed home Madrid's fourth a minute after the restart.
New signing Asier Illarramendi threaded the Argentine through
on goal, and Higuain wasn't to make any mistake from eight
yards.
The floodgates weren't to open following the substitutes'
strike though, as chances became limited, the best of which
was a Higuain effort that was acrobatically turned over the
crossbar by Flahavan.
It was the turn of another Argentine talent to imprint himself
on the match, as Angel Di Maria fired himself onto the
scoresheet. Cutting in from the right flank, the 25-year-old
beat two men before placing the ball in the bottom corner
with his left foot, leaving Flahavan no chance.
Ancelotti will be encouraged by tidy performances from the
younger contingent of his newly-inherited squad, none more-
so than Casemiro . The Brazilian youngster strode powerfully
into the box on 83 minutes, thrashing the ball home at the
near post after wrong-footing Flahavan, to complete the
friendly rout.
Real Madrid next face Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday in
good spirits, as Madrid look to gather some momentum in their
pre-season campaign, following an efficient display at Seward
Stadium.