Cristiano spurns hat-trick chance to hand Benzema a break
The Frenchman was jeered by sections of the Bernabéu after a couple of misses but Ronaldo appreciated his work and relinquished a treble for his colleague.
Cristiano Ronaldo was more appreciative of the work of his strike partner Karim Benzema than some sections of the Bernabéu on Saturday as Real Madrid beat Alavés 4-0.
The Frenchman teed up Ronaldo's first goal on 43 minutes with a delicate flick into the Portuguese's path, which led Ronaldo to point, pointedly, to the Frenchman, who had been subjected to whistles from the crowd after slipping with the goal at his mercy earlier in the half.
Benzema has been the object of the Bernabéu's ire during a disappointing domestic season, finding the net just three times in LaLiga before Saturday.
Ronaldo shows solidarity with Benzema
And Ronaldo rewarded his teammate's efforts against Alavés, during which he provided two assists in an eye-catching performance, by handing the ball to Benzema after Gareth Bale had been brought down by Alexis so that the Frenchman could rediscover that scoring feeling.
Benzema duly hit an inch-perfect penalty past the dive of Fernando Pacheco, who had guessed the direction of his shot perfectly but still couldn't get a glove on it.
It was an act of sportsmanship that few might have expected from Ronaldo but reinforces the fact that while spectators may not always appreciate Benzema's input duriung games, his teammates are only too aware of his importance to the side.
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