The Portuguese star was on fire in the Santiago Bernabeu while Gareth Bale netted one and Karim Benzema hit a double as they strolled to the three points
Cristiano Ronaldo well and truly stole the show in Real Madrid’s 9-1 win over Granada on Sunday with an eight-minute hat-trick as part of a five-goal masterclass.
The Portuguese superstar is running out of achievements to notch up in Spain, but he netted his fastest treble in a Real shirt, and his first since December, within 38 minutes of a wonderfully clinical display.
Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, twice, were also on target for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in Madrid, while Diego Mainz put through his own net to compound Granada’s misery late on.
Bizarrely given such an emphatic scoreline, Real were far from their fluent best early on.
However, from the moment they led after 25 minutes when Bale’s recent upturn in form continued with a well-taken opener under pressure, they never looked back.
Having coolly rounded goalkeeper Oier, Bale registered his fifth goal in four outings for club and country to set the ball rolling, before Ronaldo took centre stage and almost single-handedly put Granada to the sword.
The returning James Rodriguez supplied his first before the Ballon d’Or holder made the most of two Oier errors to register his 24th, and quickest, Liga hat-trick.
The onslaught continued in the second half as Ronaldo scored his fourth in between Benzema’s brace, with Roberto Ibanez’s late consolation the only disappointment for the hosts.
Mainz then turned Luka Modric’s cross into his own net to present Real with another gift, before Ronaldo – fittingly – had the final say to move Real to within a point of Barcelona, who play Celta Vigo later on Sunday.
