RONALDO SCORES FIVE IN ONE MATCH (VIDEO AVAILABLE)- A LOOK AT MADRID GREAT FERENC PUSKAS

Real Madrid VS Granada

After a sub-par month of March for Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese goalscorer silenced critics with a five-goal haul against struggling Granada in the latter's worst defeat in its La Liga history.  The final score, a score which by all means tells the story of the match, read 9-1 for Los Merengues, the club's biggest win since 1967, courtesy of Ronaldo's five, a brace from Benzema, a goal from Bale, and an own goal from Diego Mainz.  Granada found its consolation goal in the 74th minute through Ibanez Castro only to concede an additional two in the final ten minutes. The result is sure to give confidence to a Real side which, despite its magnificent run of victories earlier in the season, has struggled since the new year.  Ronaldo's five goals put him at 36 La Liga goals in just 26 appearances, and a staggering 47 goals in all competitions.  Ronaldo's biggest competitor for La Pichichi and the European Golden Boot, Lionel Messi, currently sits on 32 league goals.

COMPARING GREATS

Ronaldo's five goals marked the first time a Real Madrid player scored the amount in one match in thirteen years, as the last player to hit five for Real was Fernando Morientes against UD Las Palmas. While Ronaldo's consistency and goalscoring ratio is almost untouchable, he is not the only player in the five-goal-a-game club; In fact, only three years ago, Ronaldo's arch-rival Lionel Messi put five past Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League.  Very few players have achieved a double hat-trick, or six in one match. Ronaldo came close today, as did Messi against Leverkusen.  Perhaps the most notable six goal performance in world football came when Manchester United played Northampton Town in 1970.  George Best, the winner of the 1968 Ballon D'or, put six past a thoroughly outclassed Northampton side in an 8-2 victory in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Perhaps Messi or Ronaldo can achieve such a feat before the inevitable end to their respective careers.

Puskas:
A Madrid Great whose goalscoring feats are only bettered by Ronaldo's was Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskas. In the 1959-1960 season, Puskas scored 47 goals in just 36 games, which averages to 1.3 goals a game.  To put that in perspective, Ronaldo currently sits on 47 goals in 41 games, and his season best average comes out to 1.1 a game.

Puskas continued his goalscoring exploits in the following seasons, scoring 42 in 39 appearances in 1960-61, and 40 in as many games in 1961-62.  With his strike partner Alfredo Di Stefano, another Madrid icon who passed away only last year (2014), Puskas won five straight European Championships. In their fifth European Cup Final, Puskas and Di Stefano combined to score 7 goals, four for the former and a hat trick for Di Stefano, sealing a massive 7-3 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ronaldo has scored an astounding number of goals for Madrid since arriving (299 in 287 appearances), and is currently on track for a record fourth European Golden Shoe.  The late 1950s early 60s Madrid side is considered the best-ever team to represent the Spanish Capital.  With the pool of talent the club has at the moment, however, it is possible for this squad to put themselves in the history books next to Puskas and Di Stefano's Madrid.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULTS! REAL MADRID VS. JUVENTUS, BAYERN VS. PLZEN, and PSG VS. ANDERLECHT! CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TOP SCORERS!

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 11/5/13

Real Madrid vs. Juventus
The reigning Serie A champions took on Real Madrid at the Juventus Stadium Tuesday evening having not lost a home match to Real Madrid since the 1961-1962 season. Juventus had lost at Madrid on October 23rd, and had still not won a Champions League match going into the game.
Juve were the first to get on the score sheet as Arturo Vidal converted a penalty conceded by 20 year old Raphael Varane, and would head into the locker room a goal ahead.  Madrid sprung to action in the 2nd half, with Ronaldo scoring in the 52nd and providing an assist for Bale in the 60th to put the Spanish side 2-1 up. Fernando Llorente responed, however, as he headed the ball past Casillas in the 65th to pull level with Madrid.
The score remained 2-2, and Juventus failed again to win a champions league match. Madrid sit atop their group (group B) with 10 points in 4 games, while Juventus are last on 3 points from 4.

BAYERN vs. PLZEN
Bayern, despite being the defending European champions, having 12 points more than Plzen in their group, as well has having 72% position throughout the match, only managed to score one goal against their opponents. Mario Mandzukic broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, his header being the only of Bayern's 22 total shots to reach the back of the net.

PSG vs. ANDERLECHT
Despite pounding Anderlecht in Belgium 5-0 (four of the goals courtesy of Zlatan Ibrahimovic), PSG were held to a 1-1 draw in Paris. Demy De Zeeuw gave Anderlecht their first Champions League goal of the group stages, and their first lead in the group stage as well. The lead was short-lived, however, as Ibrahimovic leveled the match just 2 minutes later. PSG lead their group with 10 points.


TOP SCORERS OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
1. Cristiano Ronaldo- 8 goals
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic- 7 goals
3. Lionel Messi- 4 goals

ARSENAL EXTENDS LEAD TO 5 POINTS IN PREMIER LEAGUE AS THEY ROUTE LIVERPOOL 2-0! MAN CITY DESTROYS NORWICH 7-0!

ARSENAL vs. LIVERPOOL

Arsenal extended their lead in the Premier League by five points thanks to their 2-0 win over 3rd placed Liverpool, and a 2-0 Chelsea loss at the hands of Newcastle. Despite Liverpool's early dominance in the Emirates Stadium, it only took in-form Arsenal 19 minutes to pull ahead; Santiago "Santi" Cazorla notched in a wonderful volley moments after hitting the woodwork with a strong header to give the Gunners their 1-0 lead. Arsenal doubled their lead in the 59th minute when Ozil drew the Liverpool defense and slipped the ball to Aaron Ramsey, who sent a terrifically executed half-volley into the top corner. The scoreline remained unchanged for the rest of the match, and gives Arsenal 25 points total, 5 points above 2nd and 3rd placed Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively.

Highlights From the Match




MANCHESTER CITY vs. NORWICH

Manuel Pelligrini's Manchester City won emphatically today, scoring seven goals while keeping a clean sheet against Norwich City in their biggest win of the season so far. The highlights can be seen below, but for a quick summary, the goalscorers were Johnson 16' (og), David Silva 20', Nastasic 25', Negredo 36', Yaya Toure 60', Sergio Aguero 71', and Edin Dzeko 86'. Manchester City now sit 4th in the league on 19 points. Their next league match will be on November 10th away to Sunderland.

Highlights Man City 7-0 Norwich

MOURINHO VS. ARSENE WENGER- CHELSEA KNOCKS ARSENAL OUT OF CAPITAL ONE LEAGUE CUP! PLAYER PROFILE- IBRAHIMOVIC!

 ARSENAL VS. CHELSEA
A rivalry was renewed Tuesday evening at the Emirates stadium when Mourinho and Chelsea took on Arsene Wenger and Arsenal in the Capital One Cup's round of sixteen. Wenger and Mourinho both opted to dip into their secondary squads for their starting lineups, with many notable stars of the first and second placed Premier League teams looking on from the bench.  Chelsea right back Cesar Azpilicueta took advantage of a defensive blunder from Arsenal's Jenkinson to put the blues ahead in the 25th minute.  In the 63rd minute, Ballon D'or candidate Mesut Ozil was introduced to bring some spark into Arsenal's attack. The gunners found themselves 2-0 down just moments later, however, after Juan Mata slotted home a terrific shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 66th minute.
The result- A 2-0 victory for Chelsea, one less possible trophy for this hopeful Arsenal side, and another victory for Mourinho in a very one sided rivalry. Arsene Wenger, in all nine of his matches against the Special One, has failed to record a single victory.

Highlights of the match

PLAYER PROFILE- 
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
Having played for Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, A.C. Milan, and PSG (His current club), one can extrapolate that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not your typical footballer. For club and country, he has stunned opposition with extraordinary individual performance, the most recent being his four goal display against RSC Anderlecht in the UEFA Champions League.  Though criticized for inconsistency and under-performing in big matches, one thing is certain- When he's in form, he's the deadliest striker in the game.

Ibrahimovic Four Goals vs. Anderlecht

At the age of 32, Ibrahimovic shows no sign of slowing down either. Arguably in the best form of his life, he is helping PSG retain their league title while making an impact in UEFA competition. In 14 appearances for PSG this season, Ibrahimovic has scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists. In addition, he has scored 18 goals in his last 17 International matches for Sweden (Four of which came against England in a phenomenal display).  Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has vocalized his support for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, stating that the Swedish International has now surpassed Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world.

Ibrahimovic 4-2 England

NEYMAR SCORES AS BARCELONA EDGE REAL MADRID 2-1 AT THE CAMP NOU! ARSENAL BEAT CRYSTAL PALACE AT SELHURST PARK TO STAY ATOP THE PREMIER LEAGUE!

EL CLASICO

Barcelona gave themselves a six point lead in La Liga as they defeated Real Madrid in a league match for the first time since December 2011.  Both Barcelona and Madrid's big summer signings (Neymar and Bale, respectively) appeared in the starting lineups. This match gave Gareth Bale his first start for Los Merengues since he joined the club for a world record transfer fee of £86m.
Barcelona struck first in the 19th minute, as Neymar slotted past goalkeeper Diego Lopez off an assist from Andres Iniesta. In the 60th minute, Bale, having had a rather lackluster Clasico debut, was replaced by Karim Benzema. The switch did not end up saving Madrid, however, as Alexis Sanchez doubled Barca's lead in the 78th minute which a brilliant chip from outside the penalty area. Neymar played a part in the goal as well, having sent the initial through ball to Sanchez. Madrid got their consolation goal in the 90th minute through Jese Rodriguez after a break and assist from Cristiano Ronaldo.  The match would end 2-1, giving Barcelona a six point lead atop the table, though second place Atletico Madrid have a game in hand.

Neymar's Clasico debut goal


ARSENAL VS. CRYSTAL PALACE
Although Arsenal was coming off their first loss in their past 12 games (coming at the hands of Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League), their league form remained brilliant as they sailed past managerless Crystal Palace with a 2-0 victory. Spaniard Mikel Arteta struck for Arsenal in the 47th minute by scoring a penalty, before being shown a red card in the 65th minute for a foul on Marouane Chamakh. The 10-man Arsenal side still displayed their dominance on the pitch, with Olivier Giroud securing their victory in the 87th minute with a routine header.

Highlights of the Match

RONALDO DOUBLE HELPS MADRID DEFEAT JUVENTUS! IBRAHIMOVIC FOUR GOAL HAUL AGAINST ANDERLECHT! CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TOP GOALSCORERS! EL CLASICO 10/26/13 PREVIEW!

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Real Madrid vs. Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo showed once again just how important he is to Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid side in a tight 2-1 victory against Serie A champions Juventus.  It only took five minutes for the Portuguese goal machine to give Madrid the lead, as he converted a perfect through ball from winger Angel Di Maria. Spanish International and former Athletic Bilbao star Fernando Llorente leveled the score in the 22nd minute, only for Ronaldo to strike and put Madrid ahead once again. Ronaldo's second goal came from a controversial penalty decision, but the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year placed it perfectly in the top corner with much composure, leaving no hope for Gianluigi Buffon. This match, Ronaldo's 12th of the season, gave him his 14th and 15th goals in all competitions.

The penalty can be seen below. 

Paris Saint-Germain vs.  R.S.C. Anderlecht

Zlatan Ibrahimovic produced his most impressive match of this season Tuesday evening when he scored four of PSG's five goals during their emphatic away win in Belgian capital. Two of the goals were scored in a brilliant fashion, one being a backheel beating the goalkeeper at the near post, and the other being a powerful half volley from distance. These were his, and PSG's, second and third goals, respectively.

Ibrahimovic Volley

EL CLASICO PREVIEW
The first Clasico of the new season is due to take place Saturday evening at the Camp Nou. Barcelona goes into the match at the top of the table, having collected 25 points from a possible 27. Only Osasuna have come out with a point after a match with Barcelona this season. Madrid lag behind a bit in third place, on 22 points. The two best players in the world have scored 8 goals for their respective teams in La Liga so far, and will be looking to add more to their tally come Saturday. Over the past six Clasicos, both Ronaldo and Messi have shown exceptional marksmanship with CR7 putting away 6 and the Argentine international 5. 

The last time Barcelona came away with all three points from a league match-up with Madrid was December 10th 2011, so the Blaugrana will be sure to put on a dominant display in hopes of ending their win-less run in the league against their greatest rival.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TOP SCORERS-

1. Cristiano Ronaldo- 7 goals
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic- 6 goals

3. Lionel Messi- 4 goals
4. Frank Ribery/Sergio Aguero/Robert Lewandowski/ Konstantinos Mitroglou/ Simon Rolfes- 3 goals

REAL MADRID BEATS OSASUNA 5-1! RONALDO SCORES WONDERGOAL! QPR TRIUMPHS AGAINST ARSENAL!

La Liga

Real Madrid managed to maintain its 6 point lead against rivals and reigning champions F.C. Barcelona in La Liga's 30th round. The game picked up right away in the 7th minute with Benzema scoring his 17th goal of the season in an impressive fashion. Madrid scored twice more before the end of the first half with an astonishing goal which can be seen below from Cristiano Ronaldo (37th minute), and another from Gonzalo Higuain (40th minute). Osasuna broke Madrid's defense in the 48th minute when Juan Francisco Martínez, better known as Nino, finished Roversio's cross. Ronaldo and Higuain would each get their brace in the 70th and 77th minutes respectively. The game would end at 5-1, and with Ronaldo just 3 goals away from matching the record number of goals scored in a single La Liga season (a record he set last year with 40 goals). If Ronaldo continues his fantastic form, he will be sure to break his previous record, as well as win his 3rd European Golden Boot which would make him the first ever player to do do so. Real Madrid are 1st in the league with 78 points, and Osasuna are currently 6th in the league with 43 points.


Ronaldo's Magnificent Goal
 

Barclay's Premier League

Lowly QPR, who have only garnered 28 points in 31 games, shocked 3rd placed Arsenal 2-1 at Loftus Road Saturday morning. The game's first goal came in the 22nd minute when Moroccan international Adel Taarabt scored for the Rangers with his first ever Premier League goal. Theo Walcott, however, managed to tie the game up in the 37th minute with his 7th League goal of the season. The game winner came in the 66th minute when Samba Diakité scored from a Jamie Mackie pass. This result gives Tottenham a chance to level with Arsenal on points after their game with Swansea tomorrow. Manchester United currently lead the premier league with 73 points, followed my crosstown rivals Manchester City who have 71 points.