Ronaldo shines with hat-trick for Real Madrid

Real Madrid enjoyed a comfortable end to what had started out as a difficult week in Primera Liga football as they cruised to a massive 8-2 win away to Deportivo la Coruna thanks to a hat-trick by Cristiano Ronaldo.

The week had started with Carlo Ancelotti's side in crisis after a 1-2 home defeat to Atletico Madrid, but a 5-1 Champions League victory against Basel had helped lift the clouds, while Deportivo Saturday proved to be the perfect rival for an away trip, reports Xinhua.

It had rained heavily in La Coruna in the hours before the game and it seemed to dampen the spirits of the home side, who after a relatively even first 15 minutes, never looked as if they were going to get anything from the game and disappointedly for their fans, rarely looked as if they believed they could.

Ronaldo opened the scoring after 27 minutes with a magnificent header, but he was allowed time and space, just as Alvaro Arbeloa faced no opposition as he found space down the right for the third time in as many minutes.

James Rodriguez was also given way too much space by a limp home defence just 7 minutes later, but the Colombian still had work to do before placing a magnificent 25 yard shot into the far corner of the net.

There was still time for a third goal before halftime as a comedy of errors from Deportivo goalkeeper, German Lux, who panicked at a lack of defensive cover, rushed out of his area and fouled Karmin Benzema. The referee could have sent him off but played a sensible advantage and Ronaldo stroked the ball into an empty net.

Deportivo got a lifeline five minutes after the break after Sergio Ramos was harshly adjudged to have deliberately handled and Haris Medunjanin sent Casillas the wrong way from the penalty spot, but Gareth Bale strolled in behind the home defense before scoring with a left foot shot off the post.

He added his second with 15 minutes remaining when Alex Bergantinos gifted the ball to Isco, who put the ball through for the Welshman to score with a smart chip as Ronaldo scored his hat-trick with a left foot drive after more comedy defending from Diakite, before Toche scored Deportivo's second of the match with six minutes left, although there was still time for Javier Hernandez to open his Real Madrid account with a left foot shot from outside of the area to make the score 7-2.

Hernandez then saw a deflected shot make it 8-2 with the last shot of the game.