bale
Gareth Bale put on a show against Real Betis on Saturday night. Reuters

Real Madrid earned a convincing 5-0 win on Saturday in their La Liga home opener, with goals from Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema to hold off Real Betis. The goals were stunning and provided Real Madrid their first victory in La Liga.

Bale got the scoring started in the second minute. The Welsh star headed the ball past Antonio Adan off a fine cross from Rodriguez. Rodriguez would continue to terrorize Adan, scoring a gorgeous free kick in the 39th minute.

In the second half, Benzema, who earlier this week pledged his allegiance to Real Madrid amid transfer speculation to Arsenal, scored with a header to put the home side up, 3-0. Rodriguez would add his second goal of the match with one of the best goals of his career, drilling a bicycle click from close range.

The best goal of the match may have been saved for last, with Bale ripping a long ball from distance with his left foot that got a bit of help from the post. It was a superb shot by the attacking midfielder, and perhaps his best in a Real Madrid uniform.

Betis had a chance to make the final score look more respectable, but Ruben Castro failed to convert a second-half penalty, with goalkeeper Keylor Navas blocking it. Betis struggled to penetrate the Madrid defense for much of the 90 minutes.

The victory could prove to be a momentum builder for Real Madrid. Rafael Benitez's squad managed just a scoreless result on the road against Sporting Gijon in the season opener.

All Goals - Real Madrid 5-0 Real Betis - 29-08...by Bayeo