Real Madrid defeated Napoli 3-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Casemiro scored to give the defending champions a comfortable advantage heading into the second leg in Naples, though Lorenzo Insigne collected a critical away goal for the visitors.
And it was Insigne who quieted the home crowd just eight minutes in -- the Italy international smartly beating an onrushing Keylor Navas from 35 yards out after receiving a Marek Hamsik through ball behind the Real back line.
It wouldn't take Real long to respond, however, and Benzema did the honours 10 minutes later with a powerful leaping header past a helpless Claudio Reina from an inch-perfect Dani Carvajal cross.
The teams went into half-time all square, but Real went in front soon after through Kroos -- the Germany midfielder pouncing onto a Cristiano Ronaldo pull-back and sliding his pinpoint effort inside the near post.
Casemiro then sublimely added a third five minutes later with an unstoppable, swerving volley from just outside the box to rousing applause from the Bernabeu faithful.
Sergio Ramos limped out of the game with what appeared to be a thigh injury in the 71st minute. But that would be the only suffering Real would experience as Zinedine Zidane's men maintained their two-goal advantage to the final whistle.
Credit: ESPN
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