MADRID: Real Madrid regained goal-scoring form to ease the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo with a 7-1 thrashing of over Deportivo La Coruna.

Gareth Bale, Ronaldo and Nacho all scored twice with the Wales international Bale taking his tally to five goals in his last four matches to help Madrid to only a second win in their last six matches in all competitions.

After a bright start, Madrid fell behind in the 23rd minute as Lucas Perez got in behind the defence and squared the ball to Adrian who slotted home.

Under-pressure coach Zinedine Zidane’s men responded and hauled themselves level after 32 minutes when Marcelo’s pull back was side-footed home by Nacho from 15 yards.

Madrid were ahead before the break when Bale curled a stunning strike into the top corner and the former Tottenham forward added his second of the game in the 58th minute with a header from a Toni Kroos corner.

Another superb effort from Luka Modric made it 4-1, Ronaldo tapped in his fifth LaLiga goal of the season before a neat header from the Portuguese put Madrid 6-1 up.

Ronaldo suffered a nasty cut to his head when he was caught by defender Fabian Schar’s boot as he dived to headed home Real’s sixth goal.

Nacho’s second of the game two minutes from time completed the scoring.

Zidane said Cristiano Ronaldo had suffered no lasting damage after being left with a nasty cut to his head which prompted the Portugal superstar to study the damage in a mobile phone reverse image on leaving the pitch.

Zidane said: “He has got a wound and I think he’s been given two or three stitches. He’s all right.”

Barcelona opened up an 11-point lead at the top of LaLiga after hammering Betis 5-0 at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Sunday. Ernesto Valverde’s side saw second-placed Atletico Madrid draw 1-1 against Girona on Saturday and took full advantage in Seville.

They had to wait until the second half to open the scoring, through Ivan Rakitic in the 59th minute, but eventually ran out comfortable winners.

Lionel Messi made it 2-0 just five minutes after Rakitic had struck and Luis Suarez’s effort in the 69th minute effectively ended the contest.

Messi added his second of the night with 10 minutes remaining and Suarez grabbed a brace of his own late on.

The leaders are 19 points ahead of fourth-placed Real Madrid and extended their unbeaten run in the league to 27 games.

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