Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated the signing of his new contract with Real Madrid in stunning fashion with his 23rd career hat-trick as the Spanish giants hammered Galatasaray 6-1 at the Turk Telekom Arena on Tuesday.
The Turkish champions had beaten Madrid on their visit to Istanbul in last season's quarter-finals and started the brighter of the two sides with Felipe Melo seeing a trio of efforts saved.
However, the Spanish giants were rarely troubled after Isco had fired them into the lead 12 minutes before half-time as they cruised to victory in the second half thanks to two goals from Karim Benzema and three from Ronaldo.
Umut Bulut's late strike was the only consolation for the hosts.
"We couldn't have started better. To start in this manner gives us a lot of confidence," Ronaldo told Spanish TVE afterwards.
"We did our job against a very complicated opponent. Despite the result it was a difficult game.
"In the first few minutes they had their best chances. After our first goal we controlled the game and played well."
Real boss Carlo Ancelotti made Gareth Bale wait to make his European debut with the nine-time winners as he started on the bench before coming on for the final half-hour.
However, it wasn't a happy evening for captain Iker Casillas as he had to be withdrawn just 15 minutes into his first appearance for the club in eight months due to a rib injury.
The Spanish international collided with teammate Sergio Ramos after just 60 seconds as he collected a routine cross into the area and, despite making one flying save from Melo, was in some discomfort as he came off to be replaced by Diego Lopez.
"He has been unlucky because the got a knock from Ramos. He showed in the few minutes he was on the field he is in good condition and he made a very good save," said Ancelotti.
"I have spoken with him and he is not too worried so we hope it is just a knock and he will be fine in a few days."
The game was turned decisively in Madrid's favour when Isco controlled Angel di Maria's pass wonderfully before dispatching the ball into the net via the inside of the post just after the half hour mark, but Ancelotti admitted his side hadn't been at their best in the opening period.
"The result makes the game look easy but it was anything but in the first-half. We had a lot of problems and had to survive a lot of pressure.
"After the first goal by Isco it is true that things became easier, we were abe to use the counter-attack more and when Cristiano and Benzema have space they are very dangerous."
Galatasaray should have levelled early in the second period when Burak Yilmaz somehow headed wide from Nourredine Amrabat's cross.
However, within minutes the floodgates had opened as Di Maria slid in Benzema to slot home his third goal of the season.
Ronaldo was the competition's top scorer last season with 12 and he finally got in on the act with two goals in little over three minutes just after the hour mark.
The Portuguese fired high into the net from point-blank range from Isco's headed cut-back and then volleyed home after Fernando Muslera could only parry Sergio Ramos' header from Bale's free-kick.
Ronaldo also played a key role in Madrid's fifth as he squared for Benzema to tap home his second of the evening from close range before Bulut restored some pride for the hosts with a deft finish of his own from Amrabat's cross.
And, fittingly, it was Ronaldo who was to have the final say with an incredible individual effort in stoppage time as he weaved past three Galatasaray defenders before smashing the ball high past the helpless Muslera.
AFP
Tue Sep 17 2013
AWANI Ringkas: Goldman Sachs selesai membayar penalti AS$2.9 bilion
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Perdana Menteri akan bertemu Petronas untuk bincang mengenai projek di Pengerang
Beliau berkata terdapat satu lagi aspek yang perlu dibincangkan berhubung komitmen Saudi Aramco memperluas fasiliti di Pengerang.
“Arwah Hail Amir mesra orangnya, mudah berkawan” - Chuari Selamat
Suatu hal yang istimewa mengenai Hail Amir ialah beliau tidak pernah sesekali lupa menghargai komposer dan penulis lirik, kata Chuari.
Ayat 'jika PH ditakdirkan menang' bayangkan moral dan semangat PN runtuh - Fahmi
Katanya, ayat berkenaan juga seolah-olah membayangkan bahawa PN sedia mengaku kalah pada PRK DUN Kuala Kubu Baharu, Sabtu ini.
HSBC yakin Malaysia tidak mungkin ikut langkah Indonesia, Filipina naikkan kadar faedah
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) tidak mungkin mengikuti rakan bank pusat di Indonesia dan Filipina dalam menaikkan kadar faedah apabila jawatankuasa dasar monetarinya bermesyuarat minggu ini, kata HSBC.
Jualan Proton meningkat 17 peratus pada bulan lalu
Pengeluar kereta nasional itu berkata jualan bagi empat bulan pertama tahun ini turut meningkat kukuh kepada 50,175 unit berbanding 49,702 unit yang dijual dalam tempoh yang sama tahun lalu, katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.
Harga koko tinggi berpotensi beri pulangan besar kepada lebih 5,000 pekebun kecil koko - Johari Ghani
Kerajaan akan menyalurkan peruntukan RM9.5 juta untuk pelaksanaan projek penanaman koko dan pemulihan ladang koko. Menteri Perladangan dan Komoditi, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani berkata, penanaman koko baharu akan meliputi kawasan seluas 350 hektar manakala projek pemulihan ladang koko akan merangkumi kawasan seluas 2,126 hektar.
Shell bincang jual stesen minyak di Malaysia kepada Saudi Aramco - Sumber
Rundingan bermula pada akhir 2023 dan perjanjian mungkin dimuktamadkan dalam beberapa bulan akan datang, kata satu sumber. Dua sumber yang diberi taklimat mengenai perkara itu meletakkan potensi saiz urus niaga pada kira-kira RM4 bilion hingga RM5 bilion ringgit ($844 juta hingga $1.06 bilion).
Persidangan Antarabangsa Ketua-Ketua Agama 2024 berlangsung hari ini
Tema persidangan 'Kesatuan Dalam Kepelbagaian', sangat penting memandangkan ia satu daripada isu mendesak pada masa ini.
[TERKINI] Kes jenayah Goldman Sachs berhubung 1MDB tamat secara rasmi
Goldman Sachs bantu menjual $6.5 bilion bon untuk 1MDB, yang ditubuhkan bekas Perdana Menteri Malaysia Najib Razak dengan bantuan pembiaya Malaysia Jho Low untuk menggalakkan pembangunan ekonomi.
Hatrik Cristiano Ronaldo belasah Al Wedha
Pemain veteran Portugal itu dua kali menemui penyudah dalam tempoh 12 minit pertama sebelum melengkapkan hatriknya selepas rehat.
Ronaldo digantung dua perlawanan kerana berkelakuan ganas
Cristiano Ronaldo digantung dua perlawanan kerana menyiku lawan dan mengancam menyerang pengadil selepas Al Nassr tewas kepada Al Hilal.
Juventus kaji semula keputusan diarah bayar Ronaldo RM50 juta
Mahkamah timbang tara arah Juventus bayar gaji tertunggak 9.8 juta euro kepada Ronaldo.
Ronaldo hampir tumbuk pengadil selepas terima kad merah
Ronaldo dilihat berang selepas diprovokasi pemain pertahanan Al-Hilal, Ali Al-Bulayhi, hingga menyebabkan dia menyiku dada pemain tersebut.
Mesut Ozil, Fernando Torres ini keadaan mereka selepas bersara...
Ozil dan Torres membuktikan bahawa usia sememangnya sekadar angka sahaja kerana mereka juga boleh mengekalkan apa yang dilaksanakan sebelum ini.
Cristiano Ronaldo ledak hatrik lagi
Ronaldo jaringkan hatrik kedua dalam tempoh empat hari ketika Al-Nassr menumpaskan lawan Liga Pro Saudi, Abha 8-0.
Cristiano Ronaldo akui dia bukan lagi ‘pemain terbaik’ Portugal?
Bernardo Silva telah dinobatkan sebagai pemain terbaik Portugal walaupun Cristiano Ronaldo masih beraksi untuk negaranya.
Ronaldo mengamuk selepas tewas kepada Slovenia
Juara Euro 2016 itu tewas 0-2 kepada Slovenia pada Rabu, sekali gus menjadikan kekalahan pertama di bawah bimbingan Roberto Martinez.
Penalti Ronaldo cukup buat Al-Nassr kembali temui rentak kemenangan
Ronaldo selesa menyempurnakan gol yang ke-23 dalam saingan Liga Pro Saudi selepas 68 minit, menewaskan penjaga gol Edouard Mendy.
ACL: Cristiano Ronaldo belum mampu sekat kekecewaan Al Nassr
Sesudah kalah dalam perlawanan pembukaan di Al Ain minggu lalu, kelab Liga Pro Saudi Ronaldo itu mengalami kekecewaan lagi awal pagi tadi.