Madrid, Oct 19: Karim Benzema scored one goal and made two more against his former club as Real Madrid claimed a third straight Champions League win with a 4-0 home victory against Lyon on Tuesday.
Benzema tapped home the opening goal after Cristiano Ronaldo flicked on a corner in the 19th minute and provided assists for Sami Khedira in the 47th and Mesut Oezil's effort that went in via goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the 55th.
Sergio Ramos volleyed the fourth goal in the 81st.
Benzema scored in both legs of Madrid's win over Lyon in the knockout stage last season and justified his selection ahead of in-form Argentine teammate Gonzalo Higuain, who had scored two consecutive hat tricks for Madrid in the Spanish league.
The win moved Madrid five points clear of Ajax and Lyon at the top of Group D after three matches.
Lyon showed only rare glimpses of attacking intent at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and Madrid enjoyed almost total control of possession.
Ronaldo produced the first serious threat with a 30-yard (meter) shot that Lloris did well to beat away in the seventh minute.
The Portugal forward was orchestrating most of Madrid's more incisive moves and he was instrumental in the opening goal, flicking on Oezil's corner to give Benzema the simplest of finishes at the back post.
Madrid camped in Lyon's half and Marcelo's overlapping runs down the left proved a constant source of danger, while Xabi Alonso's raking passes kept the visiting defense on the back foot.
There were flashes of danger from Lyon's pacy forwards, with Brazilian winger Michel Bastos providing a cross that Jimmy Briand headed just wide in the ninth.
Briand shot wide again in the 26th and striker Bafetimbi Gomis had the ball in the net two minutes later only to have his joy curtailed by the offside flag.
Madrid also had a goal chalked off when Alonso was shown a yellow card for taking a free kick before the referee's whistle to deny Benzema a second goal in the 40th.
Lloris was forced to make a flying save from the retaken kick to stop Oezil's effort nestling in the bottom corner.
Madrid turned the screw in the second half as Benzema took advantage of a slip by Bakary Kone to advance into the box and slip a pass inside for Khedira to score.
Oezil, Marcelo and Benzema interchanged passes to unlock the Lyon defense eight minutes later, with the German's attempted cutback ricocheting off Lloris and into the net for an own goal.
Ramos got the fourth goal after his initial header from substitute Kaka's corner fell back to him for a firm volley into the far corner.
Ronaldo's endeavor deserved a reward, but when he finally forced a shot past Lloris, the referee disallowed the third goal of the match for a dubious offside call against Kaka.
Lineups:
Real Madrid: Iker Casillas, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Sami Khedira (Fabio Coentrao 61), Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema (Gonzalo Higuain 72), Mesut Oezil (Kaka 66), Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa, Angel Di Maria.
Lyon: Hugo Lloris, Bakary Kone, Dejan Lovren, Kim Kallstrom, Yoann Gourcuff (Ederson 66), Michel Bastos, Anthony Reveillere, Gueida Fofana, Bafetimbi Gomis (Mouhamadou Dabo 80), Jimmy Briand, Aly Cissokho.
