A howler from Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov let in Karim Benzema
to score the opener in the 30th minute before the visitors were reduced
to 10 men five minutes into the second half when Taras Stepanenko hacked
down Sergio Ramos and was shown a second yellow card.
Real
doubled their lead after Ronaldo's shot hit Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna
on the back in the 54th minute and the referee inexplicably awarded a
penalty and the Portugal captain netted another spot kick nine minutes
later after Marcio Azevedo handled in the area.
Ronaldo, who hit
five past Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday, completed his hat-trick in
the 81st minute when he followed up a Marcelo shot and headed into the
net to take his Champions League tally to 80.
Real's victory gave new coach Rafa Benitez a winning debut but came at a
cost as their Wales winger Gareth Bale limped off midway through the
first half with what looked like a muscle strain in his left leg.Real,
the record 10-times winners and 2014 champions, several times went
close in the early stages with Bale almost scoring with a clever flick
through his legs from Dani Carvajal's cross in the 13th minute.
Shakhtar
were holding their own reasonably well without troubling Real keeper
Keylor Navas until Pyatov came out to gather a cross and fumbled the
ball straight to Benzema.
The France striker, who missed two other
relatively easy chances, cracked it into the empty net for his 43rd
Champions League goal.
Real have only failed to win their opening
home match twice in 45 European Cup campaigns and not since 1962 when
they drew 3-3 against Anderlecht.
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