Five-star Real Madrid run Viktoria Plzen ragged

Santiago Solari continued his 100 percent start as Real Madrid thrashed Viktoria Plzen 5-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

See how the action unfolded in the Czech Republic with our liveblog!

Two quick-fire braces in the first half and a Toni Kroos golazo kept Madrid top of Group G, although Sergio Ramos was involved in another controversial incident, his elbow breaking the nose of his opponent but going unpunished.

Luka Modric’s place in midfield was taken by Dani Ceballos and Lucas Vazquez came in for Marco Asensio on the right wing, but Marcelo, Raphael Varane, Jesus Vallejo and Dani Carvajal all remained sidelined on Solari’s European debut.

The Argentine led Los Blancos to two wins in his first two games as caretaker Coach, with six goals scored and none conceded against Melilla and Real Valladolid.

Despite their domestic struggles, Madrid were top of their Champions League group and could stay there with victory over Plzen, whom they beat 2-1 last time out.

The hosts threatened first when Nacho Fernandez deflected a cross on to Thibaut Courtois' crossbar, but Benzema made it a 200th Madrid goal to remember, pulling off two feints before nestling a finish past Ales Hruska.

Just three minutes later, Casemiro opened the door to Plzen's weakness in the air as he nodded in a corner, Benzema followed suit from a similar delivery and the striker flicked on for Gareth Bale to stroke home.

However, Ramos could consider himself lucky to still be on the field before the break, taking Milan Havel's nose out with his elbow in a collision with the winger, similar to the incident that saw Barcelona's Clement Lenglet sent off against Girona in September.

Los Merengues took their foot off the gas after the break, bringing off Ramos, Benzema and Toni Kroos, but not before the German scored a golazo, delightfully dinking a shot over Hruska from Vinicius Junior's unselfish layoff.

Courtois was on hand to keep out a couple of snapshots that went his way, while Lucas Vazquez had a close-range finish wrongly deemed offside and Bale clattered the crossbar in stoppage time.

Viktoria Plzen 0-5 Real Madrid

Benzema 20, 37, Casemiro 23, Bale 40, Kroos 67

Viktoria Plzen: Hruska; Hejda, Hubnik, Prochazka, Limbersky, Kopic, Reznik, Hrosovsky, Chory (Reznicek 80) Havel (Petrzela 38), Cermak (Horava 61)

Real Madrid: Courtois; Odriozola, Nacho, Ramos (Javi Sanchez 59), Reguilon; Ceballos, Casemiro, Kroos (Isco 73); Vazquez, Benzema (Vinicius 62), Bale

Referee: Aytekin (GER)

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