CR7 hattrick thumps Celta
11 Jan 2013 12:50 AM GMT
Cristiano Ronaldo responded to missing out on the Ballon d’Or by hitting a stunning hat-trick as Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 4-0 to reach the Spanish Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg of their last-16 tie, Portuguese star Ronaldo hit two early openers before settling the tie with three minutes remaining to calm his team’s nerves after Sergio Ramos had been sent off with 17 minutes to go.
Sami Khedira added the fourth in the final minute and Jose Mourinho’s men will now meet Valencia in the next round before a potential semi-final tie with eternal rivals Barcelona who knocked Madrid out last season at the quarter-final stage.
Mourinho recalled goalkeeper Iker Casillas for the clash after he had controversially dropped the club captain to the bench for the last two La Liga games.
RONALDO CALLS FOR UNITY
Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo has made a call for unity in the team after scoring a hat-trick to take his side into the Copa del Rey quarters. Casillas was in goal for Wednesday’s game, but that didn’t save Mourinho from being booed. “We should all stop criticising, because now it is the moment that we all have to be united. We are still in with a chance of winning the Champions League and the copa,” said Ronaldo afterwards. “It is an honour for me to score so many goals for this club. I feel as if I am in very good form at the moment. We have all come back well after the Christmas holidays.’
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg of their last-16 tie, Portuguese star Ronaldo hit two early openers before settling the tie with three minutes remaining to calm his team’s nerves after Sergio Ramos had been sent off with 17 minutes to go.
Sami Khedira added the fourth in the final minute and Jose Mourinho’s men will now meet Valencia in the next round before a potential semi-final tie with eternal rivals Barcelona who knocked Madrid out last season at the quarter-final stage.
Mourinho recalled goalkeeper Iker Casillas for the clash after he had controversially dropped the club captain to the bench for the last two La Liga games.
RONALDO CALLS FOR UNITY
Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo has made a call for unity in the team after scoring a hat-trick to take his side into the Copa del Rey quarters. Casillas was in goal for Wednesday’s game, but that didn’t save Mourinho from being booed. “We should all stop criticising, because now it is the moment that we all have to be united. We are still in with a chance of winning the Champions League and the copa,” said Ronaldo afterwards. “It is an honour for me to score so many goals for this club. I feel as if I am in very good form at the moment. We have all come back well after the Christmas holidays.’
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