Cristiano Ronaldo scores five goals as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 6-0 to pass Raul as all-time top goalscorer - in 347 fewer matches

Ronaldo now has 229 goals 203 La Liga matches

Tom Sheen
Saturday 12 September 2015 12:22 EDT
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(Getty Images)

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Cristiano Ronaldo had failed to score in Real Madrid's first two matches of this season.

That all changed at Espanyol on Saturday afternoon.

It took the Portuguese superstar just seven minutes to notch his first goal of the season but he was far from finished at the Power8 Stadium in Barcelona.

The 30-year-old notched his hat-trick in just 20 minutes and added two in the second half to make it five out of six, Karim Benzema with the other goal.

Ronaldo opened the scoring after just seven minutes
Ronaldo opened the scoring after just seven minutes (Getty Images)

As if it wasn't enough to score five in a match, becoming the seventh player to score five in a single match for Los Blancos (a record), and just the second since 1961, Ronaldo also passed club great Raul Gonzalez as the club's all-time top scorer in La Liga.

Amazingly, Ronaldo has now got 229 goals in La Liga, one more than Raul, despite playing 347 fewer matches. Raul took 550 matches to reach his mark, Ronaldo has gone one better in just 203.

The current Ballon d'Or holder is also closing in on Raul's record as all-time record goal scorer in all competitions.

He only needs five more goals to beat Raul's all-time record in all competitions
He only needs five more goals to beat Raul's all-time record in all competitions (EPA)

Ronaldo is now just five goals behind Ronaldo but, again, he is played so many fewer matches.

Raul finished his career in five by scoring 323 in 741 matches and Ronaldo now sits on 318 goals from 303 games - 438 less!

Real Madrid face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday and Granada in La Liga next weekend.

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