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James Rodriguez double helps Real Madrid beat Sevilla in King's Cup

Real have now gone a club record 38 games unbeaten in all competitions under coach Zinedine Zidane, and have only lost twice in his 53 games in charge.

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James Rodriguez of Real Madrid shakes hands with his manager Zinedine Zidane after being substituted during the Copa del Rey Round of 16 First Leg match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at Bernabeu on January 4, 2017 in Madrid, Spain
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Real Madrid marked Zinedine Zidane's first anniversary as manager with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sevilla in the first leg of their King's Cup last 16 tie at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

James Rodriguez opened the scoring for Real with a powerful strike from outside the box before Raphael Varane fired home a Toni Kroos corner to double the lead. James, who has been linked with a possible move away from the Spanish giants, added his second -- Real's third -- from the penalty spot before receiving a standing ovation when he was substituted 10 minutes before the end. Real have now gone a club record 38 games unbeaten in all competitions under Zidane, and have only lost twice in his 53 games in charge.

James rowed back on comments that raised speculation about his future at Madrid by stating his desire to stay at the European champions. The Colombia international's role at Real has diminished in the last two seasons since his 80-million-euros ($83.53 million) move from Monaco in 2014. The playmaker has made just four league starts this campaign and in December stated he would consider his options if he did not get more playing time.

"Everyone in the team wants to play all the time and we all go through bad moments but now a new year has begun for me and I'm staying, I'm staying at Madrid," James told reporters.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring against Sevilla in the 11th minute with a low curling effort from the edge of the area and hit the third from the penalty spot. "I just want to play well when I have the chance and be able to do good things like I did today and help the team by scoring goals," he added.

James angered club officials and team mates after Real won the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan by saying: "I can't guarantee if I'm going to stay here. I've had offers and I have seven days to think about it. I'm happy at Real Madrid but I want to play more."

Real coach Zinedine Zidane was impressed with the Colombian's display against Sevilla but did not single him out for praise. He said: "James had a good game, he worked hard and scored two goals. He was important, just like everyone else."

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