Ronaldo Hat-Trick Powers United to Thrashing VictoryRonaldo Hat-Trick Powers United to Thrashing Victory Manchester United unleashed their full fury upon Leeds United at Old Trafford on Sunday, with talisman Cristiano Ronaldo leading the charge with a blistering hat-trick that powered the Red Devils to a resounding 6-2 triumph. United’s nerves were settled early when Jadon Sancho found the back of the net with a composed finish in the eighth minute. Moments later, Ronaldo marked his return to the starting lineup with a clinical strike to double the advantage. Ronaldo’s insatiable hunger for goals was far from satisfied, as he completed his hat-trick just before half-time with a stunning header from a perfectly weighted Luke Shaw cross. The Portuguese forward has now scored 21 Premier League goals this season, moving him closer to the prestigious Golden Boot award. Leeds showed some fight in the second half, pulling two goals back through Rodrigo and Raphinha. However, any hopes of a comeback were swiftly extinguished as Bruno Fernandes restored United’s three-goal lead with a well-timed shot. Paul Pogba, making his first league start since October, put the icing on the cake with a thumping drive into the top corner. Anthony Elanga added a sixth goal in injury time to complete a dominant display from the home side. The win moved United back into fourth place in the Premier League, level on points with Arsenal and two points ahead of Tottenham. Manager Ralf Rangnick hailed Ronaldo’s “outstanding” performance and credited the team’s attacking firepower for the emphatic victory. “We knew that we had to start the game very aggressively,” Rangnick said. “We scored three goals in the first half and this gave us a very good foundation. Cristiano’s hat-trick was obviously the highlight, but the whole team played very well today.” Leeds manager Jesse Marsch was left to rue his team’s defensive mistakes, but praised Ronaldo’s brilliance. “We had a good game plan, but we made too many mistakes against a team like Manchester United who have a world-class player like Ronaldo,” Marsch said. “He took his chances today and we have to learn from this and move on.”
