Five-star Real Madrid return to form in style

Sunday Valladolid 2-0 R Zaragoza Atletico 2-0 Levante Valencia 0-5 Real MadridVALENCIA - After failing to fire on all cylinders in the first half of the campaign, Real Madrid finally reproduced the scintillating form that helped them romp to the La Liga title last season with a 5-0 dismantling of hapless Valencia on Sunday.The signs of a revival, sparked by doubles for Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria and the creativity of playmaker Mesut Ozil, come at a crucial time with a Champions League last-16 tie against Premier League leaders Manchester United looming next month.Their best performance of the season pushed the reports of dressing room disharmony which have dominated coverage of Jose Mourinho’s side in recent months off the front pages and had sports daily As proclaiming: “The great Madrid is back”.Real tore into Valencia at the Mestalla and scored all five of their goals before halftime, racking up their biggest lead at the break since Mourinho took over as coach in 2010.Ronaldo and Di Maria were close to unstoppable on the counter attack, while striker Gonzalo Higuain, who kept Karim Benzema on the bench and opened the scoring in the ninth minute, looked back to his best after recently returning from injury.“It was a match that we made easy for ourselves,” Di Maria said in a post-match interview with TV broadcaster Canal Plus.

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Five-star Real Madrid return to form in style