La Liga, Real Madrid vs Granada: Match review, Real cruise

Very comfortable win for Real Madrid. Ancelotti's men did not start the game very well and were contained quite successfully by Granada's defensive line, but Gareth Bale scored the opening goal for Real Madrid on the 25th minute and 13 minutes later Cristiano added a hat-trick of his own to make it 4-0 and wrap things up. The second half was easy and Carlo Ancelotti even took Kroos, James and Benzema off to give them some rest ahead of what will be a tough month for his side.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored five goals -- yes, that's right -- , Benzema contributed with a brace and Bale notched up Real's first in one of the most productive performances by the BBC in a while. Cristiano Ronaldo even had good chances to score some more goals, but it was Granada's Diego Mainz the one who pushed the ball into his own net right after the Andalusian team earned the consolation prize to make it 7-1 on the 74th minute. Final score 9-1 and Real Madrid gaining some momentum for the upcoming matches.

James Rodríguez completed a solid and generous performance on his return from injury. The Colombian player was visibly tired after a while, maybe because of the warm temperatures in the Spanish capital, but his overall contribution to the team's play was successful. James was involved in the midfield and helped the defensive line as well, so his physical condition will surely improve as he gets more minutes.

Players like Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema and James come out of this match stronger. The BBC's season has been decent but not great, so all three players will surely be hoping to end the season well to help Real Madrid conquer trophies.

James also made a statement and proved that he is ready to fight with Isco Alarcón for a starting spot in this squad. Isco played very well during his absence, but his condition  and lack of rest prevented him from being as generous defensively as he was early in the season. However, it will not be easy for Carlo Ancelotti to decide his starting midfielder alongside Kroos and Modric. Both Isco and James could work well as game-changers, and that's something Real Madrid did not have over the last few months. It will be crucial to have another weapon on the bench during the Champions League tie against Atlético, whether that's Isco or James.

Real Madrid will now visit Rayo Vallecano this next Wednesday having Isco back. It's never easy to win in Vallecas and Los Blancos should expect a hard fight from Rayo, who are playing well and with a lot of intensity lately. Ancelotti's men should have in mind that even though they scored 9 goals, these were 3 points that will be as important as the ones to be played in Rayo's field.