A Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick helped Real Madrid take control of the toughest group in the Champions League and earn a win over an opponent which it’s dominated of late.
Ronaldo’s hat trick was his second in four days and propelled Madrid to a 4-1 win over Ajax. With the win, Madrid took a maximum of 6 points in Group D, The Associated Press reported.
Ronaldo scored another hat trick against Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish league on Sunday. The three goals he scored in that match marked the first time he netted a hat trick in the Champions League. Ronaldo now has 12 goals in 10 games this season and. with 42 goals. has become the eighth player to score more than 40 goals in the Champions League.
Despite Ronaldo ‘s hat trick, the play of the game may have belonged to Karim Benzema, who unleashed an awesome overhead kick using a right-wing cross from Ronaldo.
”We played a very good match,” said Jose Mourinho, Madrid’s coach who now has a chance to become the first coach to win the Champions League with three teams. ”Benzema, Kaka and Ronaldo all played well. Now we have six points in a very difficult group.”
Real dominated play against the injury-ravaged Ajax, though the hosts did threaten at times including Derk Boerrigter’s run in the third minute.
Ronaldo’s hat trick helped send Ajax to its seventh straight loss against Spanish sides, Eurosport noted. Before Wednesday’s match, Real had won its last four matches against Ajax. In the last three matches against the Amsterdam squad, Ronaldo has six goals.