Ronaldo Stuns with Hat-Trick as Real Madrid Rout Barcelona in El ClasicoRonaldo Stuns with Hat-Trick as Real Madrid Rout Barcelona in El Clasico In a pulsating edition of El Clasico, Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show with a remarkable hat-trick as Real Madrid crushed arch-rivals Barcelona 5-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday. The Portuguese superstar was in scintillating form, tearing the Barcelona defense apart on multiple occasions. His first goal came in the 18th minute, as he latched onto Marcelo’s cross and fired a low drive into the bottom corner. Ronaldo doubled his tally just before the break, pouncing on a loose ball in the penalty area and drilling a left-footed shot past Marc-André ter Stegen. Barcelona looked dispirited after the interval, and Real Madrid took full advantage. Ronaldo completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute with another clinical finish, sending the visiting fans into raptures. Substitute Marco Asensio added a fourth for Real Madrid in the 74th minute with a sublime solo goal, before Karim Benzema tapped in from close range to make it 5-0 in stoppage time. Barcelona’s only consolation came in the 82nd minute through Luis Suarez, but it was too little too late. Ronaldo’s hat-trick was his 34th in La Liga, and his performance underlined his status as one of the greatest players of all time. The victory for Real Madrid was a major statement of intent in the title race. The reigning champions are now top of the table with a six-point lead over their Catalan rivals. Barcelona will be devastated by this defeat, and coach Ernesto Valverde will have a lot of work to do to restore their confidence. Real Madrid, on the other hand, will be brimming with optimism as they look to defend their La Liga title.
