If Real Madrid were going to have a hope of keeping the pressure on Barcelona in the La Liga title race, they needed their rivals to not win and for Cristiano Ronaldo to have a good day. Unfortunately, Barcelona won and clinched the title -- but Ronaldo certainly held up his end of the bargain against Espanyol.
Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick beats Espanyol, falls short of title win
Real Madrid won’t win La Liga, but Ronaldo did everything he could to give them a chance.
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That's the first and best of three goals that Ronaldo scored to earn himself a hat trick in one of the most crucial matches of the season for Real Madrid, single-handedly beating a plucky Espanyol side, also serving up the assist for Marcelo's goal in the 4-1 win. It was a Ronaldo classic, full of pace and power, but his next two were more indicative of the player he's become as aged and developed.
The second was an opportunistic strike, pouncing on a loose ball in the box and firing it home over a sliding challenge. The third showed off Ronaldo’s skill in the air that he’s developed over the year, rising over a defender at the far post to meet a cross and nod it down in a tight space between the post and goalkeeper. The simplicity of both finishes belied the difficulty level involved, and Ronaldo’s reputation as perhaps the best finisher in the world is definitely secure after today.
The hat trick gives Ronaldo 45 league goals on the season and almost certainly secures him as the top goalscorer in La Liga this season with Lionel Messi four behind him in the standings. That’s little consolation for Ronaldo, though, after Messi scored against Atletico Madrid to secure the league title for Barcelona. A golden boot is nice, but a league trophy is much, much better, and Ronaldo would likely give up all of his golden boots for another title win.
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