Madrid thrash Zaragoza 6-0 in La Liga opener

Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick to lead Real Madrid to a 6-0 rout at Zaragoza to open the Spanish league season.

Jose Mourinho's team displayed the same verve in attack that led it to a second-place finish last season and made it practically unbeatable for any side other than Barcelona.

Ronaldo opened the scoring and Marcelo doubled Madrid's lead at La Romareda stadium before halftime.

Xabi Alonso then extended the lead midway into the second half before Ronaldo scored again and Kaka came off the bench for a goal of his own and an assist for Ronaldo to cap the victory.

Madrid squandered numerous chances to add to the rout, while Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was never troubled.

"Scoring six goals away from home is difficult," Ronaldo said. "But the team is playing well and creating chances. I have to thank my teammates. We all win and lose together."

Three-time defending champion Barcelona plays Villarreal on Monday.

The scoring display could not have come at a better for a team once again criticised for its abrasive antics — above all those of its head coach — during the recent Spanish Supercup loss to archrival Barcelona.

Zaragoza goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez saved early tries by German midfielder Mesut Oezil and Karim Benzema and blocked a free kick by Ronaldo but he could do nothing when the three combined for Madrid's 24th-minute opener.

The France striker robbed the ball in midfield and passed to Oezil, who calmly threaded an assist through the defensive line for a streaking Ronaldo to drive home.

Four minutes later, Marcelo doubled the score when Ronaldo missed with an acrobatic bicycle kick and the ball fell to the Brazil defender to sweep into the right side of the net.

"We are in the same league but we had absolutely no chance," Zaragoza coach Javier Aguirre said. "They beat us in every aspect and I, as the coach, am responsible. I didn't do my job well."

Ronaldo, who set the Spanish league scoring record with 40 goals last season, peppered Roberto's goalline with more dipping free kicks that the Spanish goalie did well to keep out.

Angel Di Maria and Benzema both missed clear chances to extend the lead right after halftime but Alonso put the game beyond question in the 64th when his blast from well outside the area took a friendly deflection off a defender before skipping into the right corner of the net.

Zaragoza's defence then completely crumbled as Di Maria picked out Ronaldo striding through the area in the 71st for the Portuguese star to tap in.

Kaka added to the rout with a well-placed curling strike into the top corner in the 82nd and minutes later sent another cross behind the demoralised Zaragoza defence for a wide-open Ronaldo to complete his ninth hat trick since arriving at Madrid two summers ago.

"If we won by this score, it is because we played well," Mourinho said. "Zaragoza is a team with 10 new players; it has changed a lot and needs time. Roberto made good saves, in the six goals he couldn't have done anything better."