Real Madrid returned to La Liga action with a home game against struggling Granada on Saturday afternoon.
A brace from Isco and efforts from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo saw Real Madrid take a 4-0 lead into the interval at the Bernabeu.
Casemiro then struck the home side's fifth just before the hour mark as Los Blancos moved six points clear of second-place Barcelona in the table.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action here.
11.01amMorning all! Sports Mole's live La Liga coverage for the 2016-17 campaign returns from the Bernabeu as league leaders Real Madrid welcome struggling Granada. Both teams have had a long period of rest over the festive break, but it is now back to the bread and butter of league football. Real Madrid currently lead the way in Spain, but the reigning champions Barcelona are very much in hot pursuit!
11.04amIn total, these two teams have met on 10 occasions in the top flight of Spanish football and Real Madrid have been victorious nine times. Granada's sole success over Los Blancos came during the 2012-13 campaign, but they have never avoided defeat at the Bernabeu and suffered a 9-1 loss when they travelled to this stadium during the 2014-15 season. It is a tough ask for the visitors.
11.07amRight, without further ado, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news from the Spanish capital. Real Madrid were actually in Copa del Rey action against Sevilla during the week, but Granada have not played a competitive match since December 21 so they should be well rested!
11.10amTEAMS!
REAL: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modric, Kroos; Ronaldo, Benzema, Isco
GRANADA: Ochoa; Tito, Vezo, Lomban, Gabriel; Samper, Agbo, Pereira; Boga, Kravets, Tabanou
11.13amReal Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has made four changes to the team that beat Sevilla 3-0 in the Copa del Rey during the week, with Keylor Navas, Isco, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo all coming into the XI. Sergio Ramos once again misses out through suspension, while Gareth Bale and Pepe remain on the sidelines. Isco is preferred in an attacking position to James Rodriguez.
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11.16amAs for Granada, there are incredibly no fewer than nine loan players in their starting XI at the Bernabeu. Only defenders Tito and David Lomban are officially contracted to the Spanish club, with the rest of the team made up with players on loan from other teams. Manchester United's Andreas Pereira is again joined in midfield by Barcelona's Sergi Samper, while there are also spots in the team for the likes of on-loan Chelsea midfielder Jeremie Boga and Swansea City's Franck Tabanou.
11.19amSo there we have it. The two teams are in and we are now just about 40 minutes from kickoff on this mild afternoon in the Spanish capital. I shall speak about the away side and their struggles a little bit later, but let's start with the league leaders Real Madrid, who claimed the Club World Cup for a second time last month when they overcame Japanese side Kashima Antlers in the final.
11.22amReal Madrid's participation in the 2016 Club World Cup in Japan means that they currently have a game in hand over the likes of Barcelona and Sevilla, but as things stand, the gap to second-place Barcelona is just three points. It has been a very impressive campaign for Los Blancos, who have won 11 of their 15 league games – remaining unbeaten in the process – to collect 37 points.
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11.25amZinedine Zidane's side have actually not lost a competitive match since April 2016 and that sensational run of form has helped them top La Liga at this stage, reach the knockout round of the Champions League and progress in the Copa del Rey. Barcelona and Sevilla are hot on their tails, but Real Madrid still have a healthy gap when considering that they still have a game in hand.
11.28amThe Madrid giants were far from convincing in their last league match, with Deportivo La Coruna leading 2-1 at the Bernabeu entering the final six minutes of action. Mariano Diaz levelled in the 84th minute, however, before Sergio Ramos scored a 92nd-minute winner. It was absolutely vital that they entered the winter break in Spain off the back of another three points, and that was the case.
11.32amIn terms of what is ahead for Real Madrid, they will travel to Sevilla for the second leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey clash on Thursday - leading 3-0 from the first leg - before visiting Sevilla in the league next weekend. That is two tough fixtures for Zidane's team back-to-back, but they will then end the month with successive home matches against Malaga and Real Sociedad, which they will expect to win.
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11.35amRealistically, Atletico Madrid are out of the title race due to the fact that they trail Real Madrid by nine points and having played one game more, but Barcelona are just three points behind and Sevilla, who have been excellent this season, are one point behind Barcelona. It does appear that those three teams will battle for the championship in the second half of the campaign.
11.38amAs for Granada, their focus is on staying in the division. A record of just one win, six draws and nine defeats has left the strugglers in 19th position in the table on nine points, with only Osasuna boasting a worse record at this stage. Granada's sole success this season, however, was a shock 2-1 win over high-flying Sevilla at the start of December. Can they pull off another big result here?
11.42amGranada's last league fixture ended in a 2-0 defeat at home to Real Sociedad and they were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Osasuna on December 21, which capped a poor end to 2016. This afternoon's fixture will be very tough for Granada, but they have a massive home game against Osasuna in the league next weekend. Some live scenes from the Bernabeu...
💪💪💪 #RMLiga
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) January 7, 2017
The players are warming up!#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/V7VCctg7Gq
11.45amThis is actually Granada's sixth straight season in the top flight of Spanish football since gaining promotion from the Segunda Division in 2011. They have finished 17th, 15th, 15th, 17th and 16th in their five previous campaigns and it does appear that they will face another bitter fight to survive the drop. Just one win from 16 league matches this season is an indication of their struggles.
11.48amOnly Osasuna (34) have conceded more league goals than Granada (33) this season, while Lucas Alcaraz's team have only found the back of the net on 14 occasions, which is the second-worst record in the league. Whether they survive this season is not going to depend on their results against the likes of Real Madrid, rather the key fixtures against the teams around them.
11.52am
🎥 El equipo salta a calentar. En 20 minutos comienza el fútbol. Vuelve @LaLiga #RealMadridGranada pic.twitter.com/ysHSndlp0h
— Granada C.F. (@GranadaCdeF) January 7, 2017
11.55amHere we go then - both sets of players are in the tunnel ahead of kickoff at the Bernabeu. It is a very tough ask for Granada and you do get the feeling that they will need to get through the opening 15, 20 minutes without conceding if they are to stand a chance of gaining a positive result!
11.58amRonaldo is currently on the field receiving his Ballon d'Or, alongside the likes of Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane. Kaka has also been on the big screen with a message for the number seven!
0 minKICKOFF! Granada kick things off in the Spanish capital...
2 min... not quite a full house inside the stadium, but there is a very good atmosphere and the home supporters will expect to be entertained this afternoon. Granada will sit deep and attempt to play on the counter-attack, while Real Madrid will dominate the ball and look for a strong start here.
4 minAs expected, Real Madrid are bossing the possession in the early exchanges as they continue to switch the ball across the pitch, but Granada are nice and compact at the back. Just a reminder that a win for the home side would see them move six points clear of second-place Barcelona.
6 minGranada are clearly set up in a five-man midfield, but Tabanou and Boga are pressing very high up the field at the moment and Real Madrid seem a little surprised by the away side's attacking intent. Not too much to report in terms of chances in the opening six minutes of football in the capital.
8 minMarcelo switches a cross towards Carvajal and the right-back has space inside the Granada box, but the ball just bounced too high and eventually Granada have enough bodies in the way to clear their lines. Zidane then shows a lovely touch on the sidelines when the ball is fired out of play!
11 minKravets has actually had quite a few touches in the opening 11 minutes of this match, with the Granada centre-forward acting as a good target for his team in the final third. Pereira has also shown nice ability in possession, but they have been unable to create any openings thus far. That said, the same can be said for Real Madrid, who are yet to really get going in this La Liga fixture.
11 minMarcelo swings one towards the top corner after riding a challenge outside the Granada box, but the left-back's effort was never really threatening to make the breakthrough.
12 minSuper defensive work from Lomban as the Granada centre-back heads a dangerous Marcelo cross off the line, with Benzema looking to nod home from close range. The pressure is building here.
12 minGOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Granada (Isco)
13 minReal Madrid make the breakthrough in the 12th minute of this match as Benzema slides a super pass into Isco and the Spaniard settles before finding a route past the away side's stopper!
16 minGranada managed to restrict Real Madrid to very little in the opening 10 minutes of this match, but one mistake and the home side found the back of the net. It is going to be very tough for the strugglers to respond from this position and the last thing they need is to take a hiding in Madrid.
18 minPossession football from Real Madrid in the last couple of minutes as they continue to pass and probe, and in truth it is almost like a training game for Los Blancos. Samper and Agbo are getting through some serious work in the Granada midfield as they look to close the space available.
20 minAs things stand, Real Madrid are moving six points clear of second-place Barcelona on the same number of matches. Barcelona, as mentioned, have a very tough match away at Villarreal tomorrow night. Granada have just started to enjoy a little more of the possession in the final third here.
20 minPereira finds space outside the Real Madrid box, but his effort was always high and wide.
20 minGOAL! Real Madrid 2-0 Granada (Benzema)
21 minReal Madrid have their second of the afternoon as Granada stopper Ochoa can only palm a Modric strike straight into the penalty box and Benzema is on hand to fire home from close range!
24 minGranada have some nice ball-players in their team and they play decent football at times, but they are just not good enough at the back and Real Madrid will fancy their chances of hitting five or six this afternoon. In truth, one more goal and this match, as a contest, will be done and dusted.
26 minBoga and Tabanou are almost like full-backs for Granada at the moment as Real Madrid continue to find space in wide positions. Kroos has far to much time to deliver a cross towards Benzema, but the striker cannot get clean contact on the ball and the away side survive another dangerous moment.
27 minGOAL! Real Madrid 3-0 Granada (Ronaldo)
28 minIt is three for Real Madrid as Ronaldo heads a wonderful Marcelo cross into the back of the net from close range. It was all about Marcelo's cross, which made it so difficult for the visitors to defend!
30 minPass, pass, pass from Real Madrid as they continue to utterly dominate this football match. Granada are working extremely hard, but they just cannot get near this passing Los Blancos team.
31 minGOAL! Real Madrid 4-0 Granada (Isco)
32 minIt is four for Real Madrid as Modric finds space down the right before delivering a super cross into Isco and the Spaniard just cannot miss from close range. Granada are taking a hiding here.
35 minLittle over 10 minutes of the first period remaining and Granada have been utterly blown away since conceding the first goal in the 12th minute. You sense that Real Madrid might have some mercy on Granada from this point forward, although they recently beat the same opposition 9-1!
37 minReal Madrid are heading six points clear of second-place Barcelona in the table, which places a lot of pressure on the champions when they travel to Villarreal tomorrow night. Is that a must-win game for Barcelona? You sense that Luis Enrique's side really cannot afford not to win at El Madrigal.
38 minDecent save from Ochoa to keep out a long-range effort from Isco.
41 minReal Madrid are going to stretch their unbeaten run to 39 matches in all competitions, which matches Barcelona's Spanish record. Los Blancos have not lost a single game since suffering defeat to Wolfsburg in the Champions League back in April 2016, which is a stunning run of form.
43 minGranada just cannot get hold of the ball at the moment as Real Madrid continue to pass and probe in the final third of the field. Figo, Ronaldo & Co. are all enjoying watching their former team's performance here. Modric almost gets a fifth, but Ochoa is down to make a smart save.
44 minBOOKING! Samper (Granada) is booked for a foul on Isco.
45 min+1HALF-TIME: Real Madrid 4-0 Granada
12.48pmSo there we have it. The referee puts Granada out of their first-half misery here as the whistle is blown with Real Madrid leading 4-0. Isco has netted a brace for the home side, while Ronaldo and Benzema are also on the scoresheet. It has simply been too easy for Zidane's side in the capital.
12.53pmSTATISTICS! Real Madrid have dominated the possession with 69%, while they have hit the target with nine of their 13 attempts, which is an indication of their dominance here. Granada, meanwhile, have only had one attempt and that was a wild strike from Pereira, which flew wide of the target.
12.58pmBENCH WATCH! Asensio, Mariano, Morata and James are all on the bench for Real Madrid this afternoon and it would not be a surprise to see at least two of those feature in the second period here. Granada, meanwhile, have options in the shape of Bueno, Marquez, Ponce, Silva and Toral.
1.03pm
HT: @realmadriden 4-0 @GranadaCdeF_en (@isco_alarcon 12', 31', @Benzema 20', @Cristiano 27').#RMLiga #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/OsSsIDMDdG
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) January 7, 2017
46 minRESTART! Real Madrid resume the action here...
47 min... REAL MADRID SUB! Kroos replaces James at the interval.
47 minSAVE! Ochoa has to get down to keep out a sharp effort from Benzema.
49 minThe last thing that Granada need is to take an absolute hiding in this match, although you sense that Real Madrid's tempo will drop in the second period with the points secure. Los Blancos are heading six points clear of second-place Barcelona at the top of Spain's leading division.
50 minCHANCE! Isco heads a Carvajal cross just wide of Granada's post.
51 minREAL MADRID SUB! Asensio replaces Isco for the home side.
53 minPossession football from Real Madrid as they continue to pass and probe in the final third and Lomban has to clear another dangerous Carvajal cross as the visitors survive another dangerous moment. The home supporters are in fine voice in the early stages of the second period here.
55 minRonaldo drives to the edge of the Granada box before looking to slide a pass into Modric, but the ball is just too strong and Granada can resume the play from the dead-ball line. Just a reminder that Real Madrid have already made two of their three permitted changes in the second period.
57 minBOOKING! Agbo (Granada) is booked for an elbow on James.
58 minGOAL! Real Madrid 5-0 Granada (Casemiro)
59 minReal Madrid have their fifth of the afternoon at the Bernabeu as Casemiro taps a James free kick into the bottom corner at the far post. Even Casemiro is getting in on the act now!
61 minGRANADA SUB! Marquez replaces Agbo for Granada.
63 minOchoa makes a super save to prevent Benzema from finishing from close range, but the offside flag was raised and Granada have the chance to settle once again. Still 5-0 Real Madrid in Madrid.
66 minGRANADA SUB! Bueno replaces Boga in Granada's second change.
68 minLittle over 20 minutes of the second period remaining and Real Madrid are seeking more goals as they continue to pass and probe in the final third. Granada have a rare chance to break away through Kravets, but Nacho is across to make the challenge and actually fouls the striker.
70 minREAL MADRID SUB! Coentrao replaces Marcelo for the home side.
71 minBOOKING! Silva (Granada) is booked for handball.
72 minLittle over 15 minutes of the first period remaining and Real Madrid are pressing forward without really threatening to score more goals. James has just had the chance to threaten from a set piece, but Ochoa made a fairly comfortable save. Ronaldo let James have one, yes!
72 minBOOKING! Casemiro (Real Madrid) is booked for a late challenge on Samper.
73 minBOOKING! Tabanou (Granada) is booked for a horror tackle on Carvajal.
75 minIn truth, there have not been too many chances in this second period and considering that the score was 4-0 at the break, there is no question that Granada would have accepted a 5-0 defeat.
77 minRonaldo looks to break through for the home side after a super pass from Modric, but the offside flag was raised and Granada survive another dangerous moment. Still five for the home side.
78 minGRANADA SUB! Ponce replaces Tabanou for the away side here.
81 minGabriel breaks forward for the visitors and looks to deliver a low cross towards Bueno, but Carvajal is across to make the challenge. Still not a single shot on target from the visitors in this match.
83 minBetter from Granada in the last couple of minutes as they start to work the ball into wide positions and Navas has to be alert to push a Pereira cross away from the danger-zone. Granada are going to remain in 19th position in La Liga having recorded just one league win all season.
85 minJust a reminder that Real Madrid will travel to Sevilla on Thursday night for the second leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey clash - holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg - before visiting Sevilla in the league on Sunday night. They could take a massive step towards the title with a win in Seville.
87 minDecent work from Granada in the last couple of minutes as they keep the ball in the final third, but Real Madrid are very deep at the moment and manage to clear their lines. Still 5-0 here.
89 minSAVE! Super save from Ochoa to keep out Ronaldo's low strike.
90 min+1FULL-TIME: Real Madrid 5-0 Granada
1.49pmSo there we have it. The referee brings the second period at the Bernabeu to a close with Real Madrid running out 5-0 winners over Granada as Zidane's side move six points clear at the top of La Liga. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for the live action once again. Until next time!
