Ronaldo on a roll, scores 2 more goals in Spanish League
Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 14th, 15th goals to set a record scoring start to Spanish league season
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 14th and 15th goals to set a record scoring start to Spanish league season on Saturday as Real Madrid eased to a 5-0 win at Levante.
Ronaldo opened from the penalty spot in the 13th minute before adding another goal in the 61st, increasing his league-leading tally to 15 goals in eight rounds despite missing one game due to injury. The Portugal forward has scored more than double the seven goals Neymar has in second place in the leading scorers list.
Javier Hernandez, James Rodriguez and Francisco "Isco" Alarcon also scored to rout the overmatched hosts at Ciutat de Valencia Stadium.
Gareth Bale didn t play ahead of Wednesday s trip to Liverpool in the Champions League with the first "clasico" match of the season against Barcelona coming three days later.
Madrid rose into a provisional second place, one point behind Barcelona before it hosts Eibar later, when Lionel Messi will also take a shot at the history books, needing two goals to equal the league s all-time scorer.
Ronaldo has scored 19 goals in all competitions and found the net in 10 of his 12 appearances for Madrid. He also grabbed a stoppage-time winner for Portugal in 1-0 victory over Denmark in a European Championship qualifier on Tuesday.
Hernandez had a part in Ronaldo s first goal when he took a pass in the area and was fouled from behind by Juanfran Garcia. Ronaldo stepped up and drove in the spot kick.
Hernandez played well in place of the ill Karim Benzema and scored in the 38th when he headed Rodriguez s cross in off the grass.
Ronaldo made it 3-0 with an electrifying slalom to dribble past two defenders and cap a counterattack started by Isco.
Rodriguez scored five minutes later after deftly controlling Toni Kroos lobbed pass with his chest before firing the ball home, and Isco finished off the demoralized Levante in the 82nd.
Luca Modric quietly had his best outing for Madrid this season, despite missing a clear chance to get a goal of his own. Modric set up Ronaldo twice in the opening minutes only for him to misfire, and the Croatia midfielder stifled Levante s best chance in the 26th when he cleared Victor Camarasa s goal-bound volley from the line.
