Alavés vs Real Madrid: Ronaldo hat-trick in a 4-1 win

Real Madrid smashed Deportivo Alaves 4-1 away from home and stayed top of the Primera División. Ronaldo once again showed his goal-scoring ability, finding the net three times. Los Blancos remain unbeaten in all competitions since the start of the season and have collected 24 points in the Spanish league.

On the face of it there was nothing unusual about the match itself, which went largely as expected, but after Alavés went ahead through Deyverson in the 7th minute, Real Madrid were awarded a penalty a few minutes later. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and was confronted with an extraordinary sight: an Alavés supporter exposing himself just metres from where Ronaldo stood. The Portuguese goal machine was not distracted in the slightest and calmly scored the equaliser.

Replays of the game also show some home fans baring their backsides at the Real Madrid players. This may be the Alavés supporters' unfiltered way of backing their team, but it did not work on this occasion, as the visitors scored four goals in total. It may, however, have played a part when Ronaldo missed his second penalty of the match.

Alavés are 15th in the Primera División table and look set to be involved in the relegation battle. It is worth remembering, though, that they did manage an away win at Barcelona, which suggests they are well capable of staying in the top flight of Spanish football.

Whether the Alavés fans tried the same tactics on Lionel Messi and the other Barcelona stars is unclear, but Cristiano Ronaldo will certainly remember them, and one particular image is likely to stay with him for weeks after this match.

The goals at Mendizorroza

The match was played at Alavés' home ground, Mendizorroza in Vitoria-Gasteiz, on 29 October 2016, in the tenth round of the Primera División. Deyverson gave the hosts an early lead after seven minutes, and Ronaldo's penalty brought Real level in the 17th minute. The Portuguese forward put the visitors ahead in the 33rd minute, Álvaro Morata made it 3-1 in the 84th, and Ronaldo completed his hat-trick four minutes later. The result kept Zinedine Zidane's side at the top of the table.

Alavés back in the top flight

The game came early in Alavés' first season back in La Liga. The Basque club had been relegated after the 2005–06 campaign and returned as Segunda División champions in 2016, clinching promotion on 29 May 2016 with a 2-0 win over Numancia on the final day. Under coach Mauricio Pellegrino they quickly showed they belonged. On 10 September 2016, goals from Deyverson and Ibai Gómez earned a 2-1 win over Barcelona at the Camp Nou, the result the article refers to.

Alavés already had one famous European night in their history. On 16 May 2001, in the UEFA Cup final at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, they lost 5-4 to Liverpool after extra time. Jordi Cruyff's 88th-minute equaliser forced the extra period, and in the 117th minute Delfi Geli headed a Gary McAllister free-kick into his own net, a golden goal that ended one of the most dramatic finals in the competition's history.

How the season ended

The fears of a relegation battle proved unfounded. Alavés finished the 2016–17 La Liga season in ninth place with 55 points, and they also reached the Copa del Rey final. On 27 May 2017 at the Vicente Calderón in Madrid, Theo Hernández equalised with a free-kick after Lionel Messi's opener, but goals from Neymar and Paco Alcácer before half-time gave Barcelona a 3-1 win.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, held on to the lead they had protected in Vitoria. They won La Liga on the last day of the season, beating Málaga 2-0 on 21 May 2017 to finish with 93 points, three ahead of Barcelona.