Cristiano Ronaldo sets records, personal bests with 5-goal barrage vs. Granada

Remember when Real Madrid were in crisis and Cristiano Ronaldo had forgotten how to find the net? Yeah, about that ...

On a sun-spotted Bernabeu pitch Sunday, the Portuguese superstar shone brighter than he has all season, scoring five goals to lead Los Blancos to a 9-1 obliteration of relegation-threatened Granada. 

Ronaldo, who had scored only five league goals in the last three months, equaled that total in an hour-and-an-half, putting himself back atop the Pichichi race with 36 goals - four ahead of Lionel Messi.

The reigning Ballon d'Or winner found the back of the net three times in the opening half, adding a pair of tallies after the interval to cap a marvelous day in the Spanish capital.

Not surprisingly, such a remarkable, uncommon performance was good enough to set a number of new marks - both for the club and Ronaldo himself.

Get comfortable. This could take a while.

• Ronaldo completed his first-half hat trick in just eight minutes, scoring in the 30th, 36th and 38th minute of the contest. 

• The hat trick was Ronaldo's 28th for Real Madrid. Only one other man has reached that total in club history.

• Talk of a one-man attack isn't really applicable in this case, given Real Madrid's dizzying array of talent alongside the 30-year-old, but Ronaldo could probably carry most other teams in Europe all by his lonesome.

• Somewhat surprisingly, considering that he scores with frightening ease, this is the first time the Portuguese machine has scored a quintet of goals in one match.

• In doing so, he joins an exclusive list that includes some of Real Madrid's all-time greats.

Your move, Lionel.