Cristiano Ronaldo took just six minutes to mark his return from a knee injury as Real Madrid maintained their 100 per cent start to the season in LaLiga with a 5-2 win over hapless Osasuna at the Bernabeu.
The Portuguese superstar, making his first appearance since limping out of the Euro 2016 final with a knee injury, turned in the simplest of chances from a Gareth Bale cross to set his side on course for an easy victory.
Danilo, Sergio Ramos, Pepe and Luka Modric were also on the scoresheet for Zinedine Zidane's men, while Osasuna, who had Cayetano Bonnin sent off for a second yellow card in the 79th minute, rallied late through Oriol Riera and David Garcia.
Heading into the game with just one point from their first two games, the visitors were never likely to cause an upset and it was no surprise when Bale scythed through their defence to set up Ronaldo to prod home from close range.
The hosts continued to dominate in the opening stages with Bale firing wide from a long-range free-kick then Sergio Ramos twice coming close, his second effort a fine header well saved by Nauzet Perez in the visitors' goal.
Some frustration began to mount as Real failed to convert their opportunities into a second goal, but just as the visitors looked to have ridden the first half storm Zidane's men struck twice in the last five minutes to extend their lead.
First Brazilian Danilo swept a low drive past a flailing Perez in the 40th minute, and in injury time at the end of the first period Ramos effectively made the game safe when he rose unchallenged to head home a corner from Toni Kroos.
It was clearly a case of damage limitation for the visitors in the second half as Real came close to making it 4-0 through a fine change for Croatian Mateo Kovacic.
The inevitable fourth goal did arrive in the 56th minute and this time it was another defender, Pepe, who rose to meet a Kroos corner and power it past Perez.
Perez redeemed himself with an impressive save from Bale but six minutes later it was five when Modric fired home a low drive from just outside the box.
Osasuna deserved credit for not wilting and two minutes after Modric's effort they got on the scoresheet for the first time themselves, Riera heading home from a neat cross by Miguel de las Cuevas.
With the game well and truly wrapped up Ronaldo was replaced by Karim Benzema with 20 minutes to go, shortly before Osasuna missed another chance to reduce the deficit when Roberto Torres had a weak penalty saved by Iker Casillas.
Yet the visitors still kept pressing and they did grab the second goal they deserved for their efforts in the 79th minute when Garcia headed home a Jaime Romero cross.
Immediately afterwards the visitors' momentum was ended by two quick infringements by Bonnin, who was duly shown red, and Kroos could have made it six for Real five minutes from time.
Source: PA
