Champions League NEWS: Ronaldo Sets Record As Real Madrid Beats Malmo 8-0 (VIDEO)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored four times, while Karim Benzema added three to lead Real Madrid to an 8-0 beating of Swedish club Malmo on Tuesday.

Benzema opened the scoring and single handedly had Madrid up 2-0 early in the first half. Ronaldo scored his first of the match before halftime to give Real Madrid a three-goal lead. In the second half Ronaldo scored three more times in the next 13 minutes, Mateo Kovacic scored his first goal for Real Madrid since transferring from Inter Milan in August, and Benzema added his hat trick goal. The 8-0 win tied a record set in 2008, when Liverpool outscored Besiketas 8-0.

A record night for Ronaldo, his four goals give him 11 in six Champions League matches, single-handedly scoring more than some clubs through the group stage. Further, Benzema and Ronaldo became the first teammates to score hat tricks in the same Champions League match.

The win showed Madrid skeptics the drama that surrounds the club off the field won't get in the way of results. Benzema scored his first hat trick since 2010 and continued his hot streak, despite pending legal issues. The club was disqualified from the Copa del Rey last week for fielding ineligible player Denis Cheryshev, but Madrid fans gave Cheryshev a warm reception when he was subbed in, according the Associated Press.

Madrid punched its ticket to the round of 16 in November. The win against Malmo tacked three meaningless points onto its lead over second-place Paris Saint-Germaine, who will also advance to the round of 16. Malmo had to win the match to finish third in the group and earn a spot in Europa League. Real Coach Rafa Benetiz told the media he was ready, Yahoo! Sports reported.

"We knew it would be a strange match because they had to come out and play to win to finish third," Benitez told a news conference. "We scored eight, but it could have been more."

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Cristiano Ronaldo, Real madrid, Champions league, Europe, Soccer, Football