Ronaldo Hat-Trick Fires Juve to Top of Serie ARonaldo Hat-Trick Fires Juve to Top of Serie A Cristiano Ronaldo continued his goal-scoring exploits on Sunday, netting a stunning hat-trick as Juventus eased past Cagliari 3-1 to climb to the summit of Serie A. Juve started the game brightly, with Ronaldo threatening from the outset. The Portuguese talisman had already tested Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno before breaking the deadlock in the 38th minute. A moment of brilliance from Paulo Dybala set up Ronaldo, who coolly slotted home from close range. Two minutes later, Ronaldo doubled Juve’s advantage with a bullet header from a Juan Cuadrado cross. It was his 16th goal in Serie A this season, moving him ahead of Ciro Immobile in the scoring charts. Cagliari pulled one back early in the second half through Giovanni Simeone, but Ronaldo extinguished any hopes of a comeback with a third goal in the 69th minute. The 35-year-old forward latched onto a delightful pass from Dybala and fired into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick. Ronaldo’s heroics helped Juve secure an important victory that took them above Inter Milan and into first place in the Serie A standings. The Turin giants now have 54 points from 23 games, one point clear of their bitter rivals. The Portuguese superstar’s hat-trick was his first in Serie A since joining Juve in 2018. It also extended his incredible goal-scoring record in Italy to 81 goals in 100 appearances for the club. Ronaldo’s performance was hailed by Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo, who described him as “unstoppable” and “a true champion.” “He is the best player in the world and he proved it once again today,” Pirlo said. “We are lucky to have him on our team and he is a key part of our success.” Juve will look to maintain their title charge when they travel to AS Roma in their next Serie A outing on Saturday.