We didn’t know it then, but on March 18th 2018, we were witnessing the very last hat-trick Cristiano Ronaldo would ever score for Real Madrid. Maybe we would’ve appreciated more real time had we known in real time. But it goes without saying that Ronaldo’s greatness on the football field has sorely been missed since his departure.

That day two years ago, Real Madrid took the field against Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu. They had just won three straight games, including a big win against PSG in Parc des Princes to secure a Champions League quarter-final berth against Juventus. While Barcelona were favourites to win the league (and ended up winning La Liga with a 17-point gap between them and third-place Real Madrid), Real’s offensive ceiling was still absurd every time they took to the field, and Girona felt the entire wrath of Cristiano Ronaldo and co.

The goalscorers that day: Cristiano Ronaldo x4, Lucas Vazquez, Gareth Bale; Christian Stuani x2, Juanpe.

Highlights