Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 6y

Zidane: Real Madrid 'needed a game like this' after big win vs. Deportivo

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said that "we all needed this" after both Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in Sunday's 7-1 La Liga win against Deportivo La Coruna at the Bernabeu.

A fast start brought half-chances for both Ronaldo and Bale, but the relegation-threatened visitors struck first when Lucas Perez broke down the left wing and crossed for Adrian Lopez to knock home at the back post.

Madrid were soon back in the game though when defender Nacho sidefooted home Marcelo's pull-back, and it was 2-1 by half time as Bale hit one of his trademark left-foot curlers from a tight angle to the far top corner.

The Welshman made it 3-1 early in the second half with a towering header from Toni Kroos' corner, and Luka Modric added another with a sweet 20-yard curler. There was still time for Ronaldo to expertly dispatch the fifth from Casemiro's cross and then score a brave diving header, before leaving the pitch with blood streaming from his brow. Nacho then finished the scoring late on with a neat turn and finish at a corner.

There had been whistles around the stadium when Depor went into an early lead, and theĀ Blancos coach told the postmatch news conference that his reacted well.

"We all needed a game like this," Zidane said. "To score seven goals is not done every day. In the end I am happy for that. We began well, although they scored at a throw-in. We knew we had to just keep playing, and we got the two goals which meant we could play that second half.

"What changed today is the result, that we scored the chances we made, nothing else. I also played in this stadium, have also heard whistles. I know it is not easy, but we need positive energy from the fans. Today in the end we got a good result for them too, but the players did very well."

Madrid had not scored seven goals at home in almost two years, and the floodgates opened in the second half when Karim Benzema returned from injury to replace Borja Mayoral, and the team's "BBC" strikeforce was together on the pitch for the first time in 273 days.

"We know we can play in many different shapes," Zidane said. "Today was 4-3-3 with Gareth and Cristiano wide, and Borja. And it worked for us. I am happy for what they all did. We can change shapes, but the most important was the attitude we showed.

"To score seven goals at the Bernabeu, I don't remember the last time, it's been a while. So I am happy for all the players -- not just the two goals of Gareth, Cristiano, Nacho. Mostly the attitude of the players, which was the most important."

Ronaldo had received treatment for the cut opened as he scored his second goal, but would not suffer any lasting damage, Zidane suggested. "Cristiano has a wound, they have done two or three stitches," he said. "He is fine, it is just that."

The result moved Madrid back up to fourth in the table, but they remain 16 points adrift of runaway leaders Barcelona. Zidane said his main focus now was Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarterfinal second leg against Leganes, and getting a third straight win.

"We are just thinking about our next game, and doing well like today," he said. "This is the second victory [in a row] and now we think about the third, and to put together a run of wins, nothing more."

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