When the lottery for the UEFA Champions league quarterfinals was revealed a few weeks ago, many thought that Real Madrid struck gold when Galatasaray was announced as its sparring partner. After the first leg on Wednesday, that prognostication continues to look solid.
Madrid destroyed Galatasaray 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in Spain's capital.
Madrid got off to a great start when Mesut Ozil drew a pass that split the defense and found a breaking Cristiano Ronaldo on the left wing. Ronaldo chipped the ball over an oncoming Fernando Muslera and gave Madrid a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute. The team would add to their lead when Karim Benzema deposited a loose ball into the net in the 29th minute.
The Turkish side would create some chances, but left themselves wide open for Madrid's counterattacks. In the 73rd minute, Gonzalo Higuain would secure a third goal when he headed in a set-piece cross from Xabi Alonso into the goal.
"If we score a goal, they will have to score five. But in football I have seen so many incredible things, nothing can surprise me," Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said. "Istanbul is a very difficult place to play. They will fight very hard against us. The story of football is full of miracles, and I will try and convince my players that it's not all over yet."
The match featured a plethora of yellow cards (8) and fouls. Madrid's Sergio Ramos and Galatasaray's Burak Yilmaz will be out of the second leg.
"Of course 3-0 is a bad result," Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim said. "The referee did not dare give a couple of penalties against us. We had our chances, too, but we failed to convert them."
The second leg takes place on April 9 in Turkey.
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