FOUR-mida-Bale: The amazing stats behind Real Madrid’s 10-goal blitz

After entering the Santiago Bernabeu with the sound of whistles and jeers ringing in their ears, Real Madrid's rampant stars left it having smashed no less than 10 goals past the hapless Rayo Vallecano.

It is only the third time the side have reached double figures in La Liga history, and you have to look back all the way to 1960, in an 11-2 thrashing of Eibar, to find the last time the milestone was passed -  a game which featured five goals from Pepillo, Alfredo Di Stefano's eternal understudy, and another four from Ferenc Puskas.

This time round it was Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema's turn to take the limelight. The Wales international scored four times, the first time in his career he has scored more than three in a single game.

Benzema also made history with his maiden Liga hat-trick, while Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty took him to 49 in the league since 2009/10, 18 more than any other player in Europe's big five divisions.

The Blancos were of course aided by Rayo's two red cards, the first time any Liga side have seen more than one man sent off in the first half of a game this season.

And prior to the goal glut the Vallecas side had hit twice in 15 minutes, the first team to do so against Real Madrid since Deportivo way back in 2005.

With the goalscoring potential Rafael Benitez has in his team, however, they can afford a couple of defensive lapses against the lesser lights. In their last two Bernabeu outings Real Madrid have scored no less than 18 times, following the 8-0 humiliation of Malmo.