Real Madrid players celebrate a goal during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs Getafe CF at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on December 5, 2015 (Photo: AFP)
Karim Benzema scored his first goals since the sex tape controversy, helping Real Madrid beat Getafe 4-1 in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Benzema scored in the fourth and 16th minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Gareth Bale added a third in the 35th and Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 38th to give Madrid a needed victory, one day after it was eliminated from the Copa del Rey for using a suspended player in the latest embarrassment to hit the Spanish powerhouse.
Real Madrid has been under increased pressure since a humiliating 4-0 loss to Barcelona at home, and again coach Rafa Benitez was loudly jeered by fans at the Bernabeu.
Fans also booed after Getafe scored its lone goal from defender Alexis Ruano off a corner in the 70th.
The result allowed Madrid to pull within three points of Barcelona, which plays at Valencia later Saturday. Atletico Madrid, four points behind Barcelona, also plays Granada later.
Benzema hadn't scored since Oct. 8, when France defeated Armenia 4-0 in a friendly match. His last goal with Real Madrid was in a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid on Oct. 4 at the Vicente Calderon.
Benzema has been charged in France with conspiracy to blackmail in relation to an alleged extortion scam over a sex tape featuring his national teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Benzema is suspected of having played an active role in pressuring Valbuena to deal with the blackmailers.
Benzema spent a night in police custody in November because of the case, which has attracted unwanted attention for the striker with headlines both on and off the sports pages.
Madrid built the victory entirely in the first half on Saturday.
Benzema opened the scoring with a goal from close range after a right-side cross by defender Pepe, then added to the lead by evading a couple of defenders in front of the goal before firing a left-footed shot into the back of the net.
Bale also scored with a low left-foot shot from inside the area, and Ronaldo scored his 10th league goal following a fast counterattack.
Ruano put Getafe on the scoreboard with a header toward the end of the match.
Many Real Madrid fans applauded after the final whistle, but before the match loud boos greeted coach Benitez and Russian player Denis Cheryshev, who was illegally used in the team's 3-1 win over Cadiz in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Because Madrid didn't realize that Cheryshev was carrying a one-match suspension for accumulation of yellow cards from the time he played for Villarreal last season, the club was disqualified by the Spanish soccer federation.
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