BARCELONA: Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema scored hat tricks Wednesday to lead Real Madrid to an 8-0 rout of Levante Wednesday in the round of 16 in the Copa del Rey. Ronaldo has now scored 25 goals in 24 matches in all competitions for Madrid this season. Mesut Oezil and Pedro Leon also scored Wednesday as Jose Mourinho's team dominated the first leg at Santiago Bernebeu stadium from the start, shrugging off its indifferent form in the 1-0 win against Sevilla at the weekend. Benzema scored the sixth-minute opener by slaloming through the defense and beating goalkeeper Gustavo Munua with a low strike. Oezil doubled Madrid's advantage four minutes later after Ronaldo had recovered the ball near the halfway line and raced forward to set up the Germany playmaker near the penalty spot. Benzema added Madrid's third in the 32nd, charging into the area to finished off a pass from Angel Di Maria. The France striker set up Ronaldo inside the six-yard box for the fourth right on halftime. Benzema chipped Munua from a great pass by Di Maria in the 70th, before Ronaldo scored in the 72nd and 74th minutes. Pedro Leon capped the demolition in the 90th. Simao Sabrosa's first-half penalty gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol with both teams having a player sent off. Koffi Romaric scored twice in Sevilla's 5-3 win over Malaga, Jose Ulloa hit a hat trick to give Almeria a 4-3 win over Mallorca, and Getafe beat second-division team Real Betis 2-1. ‘English manager preferable' The chairman-elect of England's governing Football Association (FA) has said there is a “national desire” for the next England manager to be an Englishman. David Bernstein, nominated for the post by the FA board Wednesday, will, if confirmed by the FA council next month, be responsible for overseeing the appointment process of Fabio Capello's successor should the current England manager stick to his stated plan of stepping down after Euro 2012. Wembley Stadium chairman Bernstein, previously chairman of Manchester City, told BBC Sport: “I would prefer to see the best manager possible managing the England team. “If he was English that would be preferable for obvious reasons and I think there is a national desire for that,” the 67-year-old accountant, who sits on the board of fashion companies French Connection and Ted Baker, added. “I want to see a winning England team in due course - my job will be a lot easier if the England team is winning matches so anything that works toward that I am all in favor of.” Tottenham Hotspur's English manager Harry Redknapp is the favorite with several British bookmakers to replace Capello. The FA stuck with the Italian, who has been spoken of as a possible replacement for under-pressure Inter Milan boss Rafael Benitez, despite England's poor display at this year's World Cup in South Africa where it crashed out in the second round. Bernstein is set to succeed acting FA chairman Roger Burden, who announced he would step down following England's failed 2018 World Cup bid because he “could not trust FIFA”. Sebastian Coe, who led London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games, insisted it was vital Bernstein improved the FA's relations with football's global governing body.
