Cristiano Ronaldo was hailed by teammates after his side's five goal thrashing of La Liga minnows Xerez.

Coach Manuel Pellegrini stated, “We didn’t play well as a team, especially in the first 20 minutes. Perhaps we were too confident after the first goal,” he said.

“Xerez controlled the ball well. We improved in the second half with more midfielders on the pitch and the goals were the product.”

Marcelo praised Cristiano, stating, “Cristiano Ronaldo is a fantastic player who is really helping the team. He scored a brace and I am happy for him."

Returning goalscorer Ruud van Nistelrooy said, "I got hurt while scoring. I dreamed of this return. I worked very hard to return.  We aren’t happy with the way we played. We can improve a lot."

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