Champions League

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Champions League | Group Stage

Sep 15, 2015 at 7.45pm UK

Real Madrid
4-0
Shakhtar Shakhtar Donetsk

Benzema (30'), Ronaldo (55' pen., 63' pen., 81')

FT(HT: 1-0)

Cristiano Ronaldo treble leads Real Madrid past 10-man Shakhtar

By Tom Nightingale, Reporter | 15 September 2015

Real Madrid cruise to an opening Champions League group-stage win with a dominant victory over 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk at the Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo has made it eight goals for the week by scoring a second-half hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0 in their opening Champions League Group A match at the Bernabeu.

Rafael Benitez's side went on the front foot from the off and should have made the most of half-chances for Isco and Raphael Varane from Toni Kroos's corners, before Andriy Pyatov saved well to deny Gareth Bale after the Welshman had flicked Dani Carvajal's driven cross towards goal.

Karim Benzema wasted a glorious opportunity when he could only fire over after rounding Pyatov, but he was gifted an opener shortly afterwards when the goalkeeper fumbled Isco's cross and the Frenchman was on hand to tap home.

Karim Benzema of Real Madrid celebrates with Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring Real's opening goal during the UEFA Champions League Group A match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk at estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 15, 2015 © Getty Images

Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo came close as Los Blancos kept up the pressure until the half-time whistle, and Shakhtar's hopes of getting back into the game after the break were soon dashed when Taras Stepanenko was shown a second yellow card for cynically bringing down Sergio Ramos as the defender tried to launch a counter-attack.

It got worse for the visitors also immediately when Darijo Srna was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area and Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to dispatch the penalty.

Shakhtar could have gone against the script had Oleksandr Hladkyy hit the target with his header from Taison's cross, but instead it was 3-0 shortly after the hour when Ronaldo converted from the spot for a second time after another dubious handball call.

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his second goal during the UEFA Champions League group A football match Real Madrid CF vs FC Shakhtar Donetsk at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on September 15, 2015 © Getty Images

Benzema continued to threaten Pyatov's goal as Real saw a chance to build early goal difference, curling wide of the mark before heading over the bar from a dangerous position after he was found by Isco's cross.

Not content with his five goals in his side's 6-0 win at Espanyol at the weekend, Ronaldo completed a second hat-trick in the space of four days after Pyatov could only parry Marcelo's shot to wrap up the win.