It was a rampant Real Madrid performance, as the Los Blancos put 6 past the visiting Real Valladolid.

Rodrygo and a Karim Benzema hat-trick in the first half put Madrid ahead, while Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez added the icing with two second half goals.

It was a fine team performance, but Carlo Ancelotti was particularly pleased with the four men at the top – Benzema, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr and Asensio.

Ancelotti said after the game: “Today marks the beginning of the closing stretch of the season, I said as much to the players.

“Last season, we were really struggling heading into this period but there’s a very different feeling around the place this time, particularly given that clinical edge we almost always have up top has returned, having gone missing in recent games. The forwards were clinical and thanks to that, it was a fairly straightforward game.

“The four guys up top did everything that was asked of them with the ball in every sense, but there is room for improvement without the ball.

“We work hard to generate mobility and breaks in the opposition defence. Karim hit three goals in seven minutes and showed he’s in great shape. The work he’s put in during the international break has really helped him.”