Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo netted a hat trick as Real Madrid started their Champions League campaign with an emphatic 6-1 victory. Madrid 'keeper Iker Casillas was recalled to the side, and made a good save early on from a long-range drive by Burak Yilmaz. However, his run out was cut short after being elbowed in the ribs early on. Diego Lopez replaced him after 16 minutes. It took the Spaniards half an hour to break the deadlock, with midfielder Isco cooly slotting home from inside the area. Karim Benzema doubled their advantage after the break with a side-footed effort, after being put through one on one with the 'keeper. Cristiano Ronaldo made it 3-0 with a simple tap-in from the 6-yard box, after good work on the right-hand side from Angel Di Maria, and Galatasaray failing to clear their lines. Minutes later, he grabbed a brace after a free kick was met by Sergio Ramos, but his effort was saved, only for Ronaldo to once again finish from close range to put Madrid 4-0 up after 66 minutes. It got worse for the Turkish side, as Karim Benzema grabbed his brace with a tap-in, following good work on the left-hand side by Ronaldo, who jinked his way into the box and fed the Frenchman - who had the simple task of putting the ball into an empty net. Galatasaray pulled one back through Umut Bulut cleverly flicking in a cross from the right-hand side. However, it was Madrid who had the last say, as Ronaldo scored his third of the night, and the goal of the evening. The Portuguese international drifted in from the left, beat two men, and accelerated past a third, only to rifle his shot home to seal a 6-1 victory for the La Liga runners-up.
Crippy Cooke, 23, is a freelance Football Writer contributing to What Culture. He's had work featured on Zoo, MSN, London 24, The Telegraph, The Huffington Post, and was recently named Writer of the Year on FTBpro - while also a nominee for Best Male Blog in the Football Blogging Awards.
