Cristiano Ronaldo netted four goals to lead Real Madrid to a 5-1 blowout win against Elche at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
After Gareth Bale opened up the scoring parade in the 20th minute that tied the game at 1-1, Ronaldo broke the deadlock with a goal off a penalty in the 28th minute.
The Portugal international then netted another one in the 32nd minute before striking two more goals in the 80th minute and extra time. After the match, Ronaldo refused to take all the credit, saying that it would not be possible without the help from his teammates.
"To score four goals is very difficult," Ronaldo said via ESPN FC. "I thank my teammates for passing me the ball so I am able to score. I have done it two or three other times. It is about the team. Things are coming off for me at the moment, thanks to my teammates for helping me so much. The matchball is for my son."
Ronaldo has now scored 12 goals in nine matches in all competitions for Real Madrid. In four Spanish La Liga games, the superstar forward has already struck nine goals for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had nothing but praises for Ronaldo, saying that the 29-year-old benefited a lot from his offseason workouts after struggling with injuries late last season.
"The rest he had worked well for him, he needed to do some specific work," Ancelotti said in a news conference. "At this moment he is physically very good, and very motivated, and scoring a lot of goals."
Ancelotti, who earlier criticized his team for their poor performance earlier in the season, also praised his squad for their performance against Elche.
"The team played well tonight, with more balance and consistency," Ancelotti said. "It is not about the system, but everyone working well. We have improved a lot in that way since the Atletico game, so it is easier to find that balance."
The win against Elche was Real Madrid's third straight blowout win. Los Blancos scored a dominating 5-1 win against FC Basel in the Champions League opener on Tuesday, which was followed by an 8-2 win over Deportivo on Saturday where Ronaldo also had an impressive performance, scoring three goals.
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