Ronaldo nets 5 in Real Madrid’s blitz over Granada

Real Madrid defeat Granada 9-1

Ronaldo scores a hat-trick in 8 minutes

Real Madrid offered an emphatic reminder that the Liga title race is not over just yet with a staggering 9-1 victory over Granada that was led by a five-goal haul from free-scoring Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo scored an eight-minute hat trick in the first-half before adding two more after the break to bag the first five-goal haul of his professional career. Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale also chipped in as Madrid became the first side to hit nine-goals in a Liga match since 1979.
With a five goal blitz against Granada Ronaldo has scored more goals this term than 53 of the 98 teams in Europe’s top five leagues.
A second-half flurry of three goals in four minutes saw Karim Benzema add Real’s fifth in the 52nd minute before Ronaldo headed his fourth of the match soon after. Benzema slotted home his second and the hosts’ seventh in the 56th minute.
Robert Ibanez pulled one back for Granada in the 74th but it proved to be only a small consolation for the visitors, especially as an own goal by Diego Mainz brought Real an eighth before the irrepressible Ronaldo claimed his fifth in the last minute.