Ronaldo (CR7) Sets hat-trick Record

Ronaldo sets hat-trick record
Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking hat-trick helped Real
Madrid equal another Spanish league milestone in a 3-0
win over Celta Vigo on Saturday, AFP reports.
His 23rd career hat trick in La Liga gave him one more
treble than greats Alfredo Di Stefano and Telmo Zarra.
Ronaldo’s 21st, 22nd and 23rd goals through 14 rounds
also ensured Madrid claimed its 18th consecutive victory
across all competitions under coach Carlo Ancelotti,
matching a mark for Spanish teams established by
Barcelona in 2005-06.
Madrid maintained the league lead, four points ahead of
Atletico Madrid after the defending champions won 2-0 at
Elche and before Barcelona played Espanyol on Sunday.
Ronaldo opened at the Santiago Bernabeu from the penalty
spot in the 36th minute after he fell following light contact
with a defender. He struck again in the 65th and 81st.
“It’s a privilege to play with (Ronaldo),” Madrid defender
Sergio Ramos said. “You would have to invent words to
describe him. He may be in his best moment.”
Ronaldo received a standing ovation when substituted late,
after taking his overall tally to 29 goals in 21 games this
season.
He led the Spanish league with 31 goals last season.
Lionel Messi holds the record for the most goals in a Liga
campaign with 50 in 2011-12.
Ronaldo is already well on pace to repeat not only as the
league’s top scorer – Neymar is second with 11 – but he is
also making a strong bid to defend his award for the
world’s best player.
Madrid’s commanding win was marred only by losing
James Rodriguez, who asked to be changed and walked
off the pitch in the 53rd.
Celta defender Gustavo Cabral suffered a more painful
injury later and had to be carried off.
Ronaldo flirted with the goal in the 18th when he looped
an acrobatic bicycle kick onto the top of the net before he
tested Sergio Alvarez with a strike from Marcelo’s pass.
Marcelo continued to torment Celta’s defense with his
incursions from the left flank, and his cross led to the
opening goal when Ronaldo collapsed after defender
Jonathan “Jonny” Castro touched his arm.
“It was a little unfair, we were in the game until then,”
Jonny said. “I touched him but he fell at the last moment.”
Celta’s Fabian Orellana finally threatened with a curling
shot that missed the post one minute after halftime, but
Ronaldo sealed the win by stabbing home the ball after
Madrid hemmed Celta into its box.
He got his third goal from another cross by Marcelo,
expertly using his left boot to score.
Atletico churned out the win at Elche with defender Jose
Gimenez firing in the first goal in the 17th to end a
dizzying series of one-touch passes by Siqueira, Jorge
“Koke” Resurreccion and Arda Turan from a set piece.
Striker Mario Mandzukic finished Elche off in the 53rd by
sprinting onto Gabi Fernandez’s lob and firing the ball
inside the post.
Also, promoted Cordoba’s 42-year wait for a top-tier
victory finally ended by winning 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao,
while Malaga won 1-0 at Deportivo La Coruna to rest in
sixth place overnight.
Cordoba hadn’t won in 13 league games this season after
returning to the top flight for the first time since 1972.