Espanyol 0-6 Real Madrid

Espanyol 0-6 Real Madrid: 5 things we learnt as Cristiano Ronaldo ended his goal drought in style 

The Portuguese netted a hat-trick in the first 20 minutes and claimed two more after the break in a commanding win

  

Real Madrid hammered Espanyol 6-0 as Cristiano Ronaldo put his goal drought behind him in emphatic fashion.
The Portuguese star scored a 20-minute first-half hat-trick and in doing so broke a significant club record - more on that later.
Next up, he put a goal on a plate for Karim Benzema before bagging his fourth and Madrid’s fifth in the second half.
Rafael Benitez was deprived of James Rodriguez through injury, but will have been impressed by Gareth Bale, who was outstanding - particularly in the first half.
  

End of the drought

Eight games, they said. Including friendlies, of course. And only two actual league games. But to even go one La Liga fixture without finding the net is alarming for Ronaldo, a player who, along with that Argentine chap at the Nou Camp, has helped redefine elite goalscoring standards.
Seven minutes is all it took to nip any tension in the bud, Ronaldo running onto a sumptuous Luka Modric pass before curling it neatly inside the far post. The second was a penalty. The third, turning home a cross from Gareth Bale.
Not that there was an assist drought, but he turned provider for Benzema as Madrid went 4-0 up in the first half and Espanyol’s players realised the game was truly up.
He wasn’t done though, and a lightning counter ended with Bale setting him up for a simple fourth and then Lucas Vazquez teeing him in for an unlikely fifth. The second five-goal haul of his career.    

Record breaker

Ronaldo, at 30, today overtook Raúl as Real Madrid's highest ever scorer in La Liga, with 229 goals according to official Real Madrid figures.
He’s done it in around half the games, putting in perspective the difference between what was considered prolific when Raúl was at his peak.
A bona fide Real Madrid legend, Raúl’s record will be way in Cristiano Ronaldo’s rearview mirror when he’s finished at the Bernabeu, and it’s going to take something superhuman to ever touch his final total.