Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals to break his own record for
goals in a Champions League group stage as Real Madrid hammered Malmo
8-0 on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck four
times in 19 minutes to break his own record for goals in a Champions
League group stage as Real Madrid hammered Malmo 8-0 on Tuesday.
Already
assured of top spot in Group A, Real had little to play for in the
final game of the group phase, however, Rafael Benitez's men still
produced a scintillating performance, with Ronaldo delivering another
brutal reminder of his goalscoring prowess.
It was
Karim Benzema who put Real in command of the encounter at the Santiago
Bernabeu, which served as the last in charge of Malmo for departing
coach Age Hareide.
Benzema netted two goals inside the opening 25 minutes, pouncing on a pair of excellent crosses from Ronaldo.
Not
content with his role as provider, Ronaldo took over the game in
stunning fashion, bringing up his own hat-trick in 11 minutes of play to
better his own mark and then adding a fourth in the 59th minute.
Mateo
Kovacic then hit home a seventh before Benzema completed his treble as
Real recorded only the second 8-0 in Champions League history, which
also marks their biggest margin of victory in the competition's history.
The
onslaught began as early as the 12th minute. Isco met Ronaldo's
delivery only to see his goal-bound effort cleared off the line, but
Benzema was there to follow up and slot home.
The
hosts were soon celebrating again as another excellent ball in from
Ronaldo provided Benzema with the simple task of nodding in at the far
post for his second.
Ronaldo was then thwarted by a
fine Johan Wiland save after slicing through the Malmo defence, with
Casemiro's headed follow-up cleared off the line.
But
Ronaldo finally got his reward for a superb first-half showing,
although Wiland was culpable as he allowed a swerving low free-kick to
dip under his gloves and in.
The Portuguese missed
a glorious opportunity to tie his group-stage record, blazing over with
the net at his mercy after a mazing Isco run, but he was not to be
denied just three minutes after the break.
Benzema's
blocked effort fell straight into the path of Ronaldo, who made no
mistake in converting with a simple tap-in and - after Vladimir Rodic
forced Kiko Casilla into action for the first time - set the new record
three minutes later.
The beneficiary of more poor
goalkeeping, Ronaldo's 10th goal of the group stage came as his shot on
the turn squeaked below the right arm of the unfortunate Wiland.
And
he did not have to wait long for his fourth, as Isco latched on to a
Benzema backheel and crossed for Ronaldo to thump in at the near post.
Kovacic
piled on more misery after Benzema's ball from the right was only
half-cleared in the 70th minute, with the Frenchman rounding off the
rout after Malmo lost the ball in their own half four minutes later.
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