Riyadh Metro to begin partial operations next Wednesday: Report    Al Okhdood halts Al Shabab's winning streak with a 1-1 draw in Saudi Pro League    Mahrez leads Al Ahli to victory over Al Fayha in Saudi Pro League    Al Qadsiah hands Al Nassr their first defeat in the Saudi Pro League    Saudi musical marvels takes center stage in Tokyo's iconic opera hall    Downing Street indicates Netanyahu faces arrest if he enters UK    London's Gatwick airport reopens terminal after bomb scare evacuation    Slovak president meets Saudi delegation to bolster trade and investment ties    Civil Defense warns of thunderstorms across Saudi Arabia until Tuesday    Saudi Arabia, Japan strengthen cultural collaboration with new MoU    Saudi defense minister meets with Swedish state secretary    Navigating healthcare's future: Solutions for a sustainable system    Al Khaleej qualifies for Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship final    Sixth foreign tourist dies of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Trump picks Pam Bondi as attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdraws    Al-Jasser: Saudi Arabia to expand rail network to over 8,000 km    OMODA&JAECOO: Unstoppable global cumulative sales over 360,000 units    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Ronaldo hits 3 as the rich flop
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 05 - 10 - 2012

BERNE — Cristiano Ronaldo hit a hat trick in Real Madrid's 4-1 Champions League win at Ajax Amsterdam Wednesday but big spending trio Zenit St. Petersburg, Paris St. Germain and Manchester City failed to win.
Ronaldo's treble, his second in four days following a three-goal blast in La Liga at the weekend, was complemented by a brilliant Karim Benzema bicycle kick as Real went top of Group D with six points from their two opening games.
Ambitious Zenit lost 3-2 at home to AC Milan who spent most of the summer selling their players, Tomas Hubocan putting through his own goal in the 75th minute after the Russians had recovered from two goals behind to pull level.
Paris St. Germain lost 1-0 at Porto after Colombian James Rodriguez struck a late winner.
Manchester City needed a late penalty converted by Mario Balotelli to draw 1-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund in a meeting of the Premier League and Bundesliga champion and claim their first point in Real's group.
There was also late drama at Schalke 04 where Souleymane Camara scored a 90th minute equalizer for debutant Montpellier in a 2-2 draw, its first point in the competition. Champions League debutant Malaga instead notched its second straight 3-0 win in Group C, this time at Anderlecht. Two goals from Eliseu and a Joaquin penalty completed a perfect week for Spain's four representatives following wins for Valencia and Barcelona Tuesday.
Dynamo Kiev beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 on coach Oleg Blokhin's European debut and Arsenal beat Olympiakos 3-1 in the evening's other matches.
Ajax was a shadow of the side which has won four European titles and went behind when Ronaldo pounced on a loose ball to score from close range in the 42nd minute.
Three minutes after the break, Kaka floated an inviting cross from the right and France striker Benzema leaped acrobatically to send a crashing volley past Ajax goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer. Niklas Moisander pulled one back before Ronaldo struck twice in three minutes, the second a delightful chip.
Milan's win was the first by an Italian team this season after three draws and left Zenit pointless from two games and facing a quick exit.
Struggling in Serie A after offloading several top players in attempt to cut cost, Milan raced into a two-goal lead after only 16 minutes through Urby Emanuelsen and Stephan El Shaaraway.
Brazilian forward Hulk, signed for a Russian league record 60 million euros ($77.41 million), pulled one back in first-half stoppage time and Roman Shirokov headed an equalizer four minutes after the re-start.
But Milan took the points when Riccardo Montolivo's shot hit Zenit defender Hubocan and slid into the near corner, leaving them second in Group C with four points from two games behind Malaga.
Zenit continued a losing streak for Russian sides which has lost all four games between them so far.
PSG, which thumped Dynamo Kiev 4-1 in its opening game, struggled against a lively Porto side which started with nine South Americans.
Rodriguez sidefooted in a curling shot with seven minutes to go after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had wasted two excellent chances for the Qatari-owned French side.
Dortmund took a deserved lead when Marco Reus pounced on a poor cross-field pass to race clear and finish past City keeper Joe Hart just after the hour. Balotelli rescued City when he converted a penalty awarded for handball after only nine minutes on the pitch. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.