Real Madrid overcame a slow start to win at Rayo Vallecano through second-half strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez.
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The Portuguese helped himself to the 300th goal of his Madrid career while Rodriguez continued his impressive comeback from his two-month injury layoff with another performance of distinction.
It was a fast-paced and frantic game from the beginning, with Madrid having a couple of early chances as Ronaldo flashed a shot wide across the face of goal and James half-hit a low shot straight at home keeper David Cobeno.
James Rodríguez: Has directly contributed to 18 goals in his 22 La Liga appearances (9 goals, 9 assists)
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) April 8, 2015
But they were relatively isolated threatening moments from the visitors as Rayo dominated proceedings and launched a series of dangerous attacks, with wingers Adri Embarba and Gael Kakuta both sending fierce strikes wide of goal.
Iker Casillas made his first save when Alberto Bueno – looking to add to his tally of eight goals from five home games – drilled a low 20- yard shot to force the visiting skipper to dive low to his left.
And there was another close call when Rayo whipped a corner into the near post and frontman Manucho flicked it goalwards, with Casillas making a scrambling save.
Aside from Gareth Bale rightly having a goal flagged offside, the closest Madrid came was when Kakuta’s poor back-pass forced Cobeno into an urgent hacked clearance, but the last chance before the break saw home captain Robertas Trashorras waste a good opportunity by sending his header too close to a grateful Casillas.
The second half was a different story, however, with Madrid looking a different team as they played with a far greater sense of purpose and urgency and coming close to the opener when Bale sent a diving header narrowly wide.
Los Blancos then should have had a penalty when Ronaldo raced clear and was felled inside the area by a desperate challenge from home defender Antonio Amaya, but referee Mario Melero bizarrely decided the Portuguese had dived and booked him.
The previously anonymous Karim Benzema dragged a shot wide after good approach play between Ronaldo and Bale, before Marcelo and then Bale both sent powerful efforts narrowly wide.
The opening goal was starting to look inevitable, and it finally arrived midway through the second period when Dani Carvajal bounded down the right and reached the byline before cutting back a cross into the path of Ronaldo, who sent a firm downward header bouncing past Cobeno.
Pic: @Cristiano | 300 Goals and 81 assists in 288 game with Real Madris [via @aayman93] pic.twitter.com/EzAve6N7o3
— Real Madrid Info (@RmadridInfo) April 8, 2015
Rayo did not give up straight away and a sweetly struck strike from Nacho stung the hands of Casillas, but the points were then wrapped up when Ronaldo teed up James on the edge of the box and the Colombian curled his shot inside the left post.
Substitute Isco was denied a third by Cobeno before Casillas preserved his clean sheet with an excellent save from Manucho’s powerful header.
