11 memorable instances when a player scored 5 goals in a single game

Cristiano Ronaldo is now among the elite few to have scored over 5 goals in a gameBefore last Sunday happened, Cristiano Ronaldo had already been breaking goal-scoring records like they were twigs. The Portuguese international already has a trophy shelf which needs refurbishment every year to make room for the new ones that keep coming in (I really won’t be surprised if he has a separate floor for them) and amongst them are the three crown jewels; the times he has been recognized as the world’s best player.Nothing succeeds like success and for these men, towards whom the Gods had always been a bit partial, and they don’t stop at anything. If there was one thing that was still missing from Cristiano Ronaldo's bagful of achievement was a five-goal game. So Mr. CR7 decided it was time. Poor Granada was at the sharp end of the stick at the weekend, when Ronaldo decided to turn it up a notch on Sunday. And turn it up, he did.Ronaldo joins an elite group of players who have succeeded to bag five goals in a game. Don’t remember the last few? No worries. We have for you, a list of some of the most decorated five-goal performances in football. Here we go.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Granada, 2015

Cristiano Ronaldo has taken some stick for his recent performances for Real Madrid, with many comparing the effect that Gareth Bale has on the team against that of the Portuguese. However, no one has ever questioned his goal-scoring abilities with the Portuguese international bagging six goals in his last ten games.

Well, all doubters needed fresh holes to dig in order bury their heads in as a rampant Ronaldo rampaged through a Granada side, which for most of the game didn’t know what hit them. A 35-minute blitzkrieg from the forward bagged him 5 goals (which includes an 18-minute hat-trick, the fastest of his career) and led the defending European champions to a 9-1. This takes Ronaldo’s tally to 36 goals in the league which is more than 53 of Europe’s top 98 teams.

#2 Lionel Messi vs Bayer Leverkusen, 2012

Just like Muhammad Ali’s name is always accompanied by a certain Joe Frazier, Cristiano Ronaldo has a rival of the same pedigree in Lionel Messi. The other half of the duo who have bagged seven “Player of the Year” titles amongst themselves had a similar night to Ronaldo’s a few years back.

The Argentine took out his wrath out in a Champions League stage against the German side Bayer Leverkusen. The German’s arrived on the pitch on a March night for the second leg of a “round of 16” tie against Barcelona, not knowing that they were about to become part of footballing history. Ninety minutes later, it was done. Messi put five past the Germans, helping Barcelona to a comprehensive 7-1 victory, becoming the first person to score five in a game in the Champions League.

#3 Radamel Falcao vs Deportivo La Coruna, 2012

One thing that really itches me about this season is that the Premier League has failed to see Radamel Falcao in full flow. Injuries have meant that the Colombian has had to spend a lot time on the doctor’s table and even when he has re-surfaced on the pitch, the South American in the red of Manchester United has been an apparition of his former self.

The Colombian a few years back was ‘the’ most feared pure centre forward in this game, earning himself nominations in the to the final three for the Ballon d’Or during his time at Atletico Madrid. It was on one of these fine nights in the red and white stripes of Atleti that Falcao single-handedly annihilated Deportivo La Coruna with Diego Simeone’s men running out 6-1 winners, with five goals coming from the lethal Colombian.

#4 Dimitar Berbatov vs Blackburn, 2010

Dimitar Berbatov has always been known for his lazy elegance. Neither is the Bulgarian the most mobile player on the pitch nor is he one to give it his all when the opposition has the ball. But, what he lacks in workload, he makes up in sheer finesse.

Berbatov’s skills on the ball and sublime ability with the ball at his feet was nowhere more aptly shown to the world than in his five-goal getting game against Blackburn Rovers in 2010 as Old Trafford witnessed a 7-1 trouncing of their Lancashire rivals.

#5 Jermain Defoe vs Derby County, 2009

Jermain Defoe has always had a keen eye for goal as was evident by his quite brilliant strike to clinch the Tyne-Wear derby for Sunderland at the weekend. The ex-England international’s best days were spent at White Hart Lane, where he carved out his own niche as one of the most natural strikers in the Premier League in front of the goal.

Spurs and particularly Defoe were in the mood Wigan Athletic paid them a visit in November, 2009. 5 goals from the Englishman helped the Lily Whites to a 9-1 demolition of the Latics.

#6 Alan Shearer vs Sheffield Wednesday, 1999

The mood on Tyneside was nearly as glum as it is now in 1999 with the club in real peril after the Ruud Gullit misadventure ended. Sir Bobby Robson was appointed as the new manager of the club and in his first home game in charge, he hit gold.

The task becomes of taking over a new club becomes easy when you have good players at your disposal, it’s even easier if you have someone named Alan Shearer. The mood of the whole of Tyneside was different by the end of the game as two strikes from the penalty spot and three from open play meant that the all-time Premier League leading goal-scorer had helped himself to a quintuple and his beloved Newcastle United to an 8-0 win over.

#7 Fernando Morientes vs Las Palmas, 2002

Cristiano Ronaldo might have got five goals to his name on Sunday, but he was certainly not the first Real Madrid player to bag five goals in La Liga. Fernando Morientes infact was the last player for Los Blancos to achieve such a feat. Morientes managed to bag five goals in that game despite missing a penalty.

The much-underrated member of the Galacticos stamped his mark on the proceeding in a game against hapless Las Palmas as the Spanish international's five goals helped Real Madrid to a 7-0 victory.

#8 Miroslav Klose vs Bologna, 2013

Miroslav Klose embodies the definition of a finisher. While the German isn’t blessed with the speed, charisma and dribbling abilities of the likes of the Messis and Ronaldos of this world, he certainly knows where the back of the net is.

This has helped him not only become the record holder for the most number of goals in the World Cups but also to a five-goal haul against Bologna in the Serie A. The defining finishing skills of Klose were exhibited for all and sundry on a fine day in May, 2013. It took only forty minutes for the then 34-year old to bury Bologna deep down under and helping Lazio to a more than comfortable 6-0 win.

#9 Luiz Adriano vs FC BATE Borisov, 2014

Luiz Adriano earned himself a place in the history books alongside Lionel Messi by becoming the second person to score five goals in a match in the Champions League. On a night when records were tumbled as forty goals were scored on a single night in the Champions League, the Brazilian became the main perpetrator.

Luiz Adriano’s five goals helped Shakhtar Donetsk to a memorable night, where they equalled the biggest margin of an away victory with their 7-0 triumph at BATE Borisov.

#10 Oleg Salenko vs Cameroon, 1994

Its one thing doing it in the league or the Champions League and quite another to do it on the biggest stage of all. That’s what Russia’s Oleg Salenko did in 1994. Salenko still holds the record for most number of goals in a World Cup game by an individual after putting five past Cameroon in the US.

The five goals and a 6-1 victory over the Africans was however not enough to qualify through to the knockout stages for the Russians. Salenko would go on to score another in the next game against Sweden; making him the joint highest scorer for the tournament.

#11 Robert Lewandowski vs Wolfsburg, 2015

Though Robert Lewandowski didn’t start the game, he sure did finish it in style. Nine minutes is all he took to dismantle Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga game at the Allianz Arena.

The first goal was scored in the 51st minute and the fifth in the 60th minute. He completed his hat-trick in 3 minutes and 22 seconds!