Revisiting Cristiano Ronaldo's record 15 consecutive 10 plus goal seasons
Juventus' star striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first brace of the season as Juventus eased to a 3-0 Serie A win over Udinese Calcio to go top before Internazionale joined the Bianconeri at the summit of the Italian top-flight.
It marked the sixth time the Portugal captain scored two or more goals in a game (5 braces, 1 hat-trick) for Juventus as Ronaldo brought up his 10th and 11th goals of the season.
In the process, Ronaldo became the first player in the top five European football leagues to record 15 consecutive double-digit goal-hauls in a season.
Let us have a look at all the seasons when the 34-year-old forward has bagged 10 or more goals.
#1 2005-06 (12 goals)
Ronaldo bagged his first goal in his 17th European club competition game when the then 20-year-old scored the third goal in Manchester United's 3-0 Champions League third qualifying round first-leg win.
After nine goals in 62 Premier League games in the two previous seasons, Ronaldo doubled his English top-flight goal-tally by bagging nine in the 2005-06 season. The Portugal star also scored two goals in the FA Cup for a total of 12 goals in 47 games.
Except for the 1-4 Premier League defeat to Middlesbrough, United won each of the eight other games when Ronaldo found the back of the net.
#2 2006-07 (23 goals)
After 26 games without a goal in the competition, Ronaldo scored his first Champions League game against AS Roma as Manchester United overcame a 2-1 first-leg quarter-final deficit to reach the semi-finals.
Ronaldo almost doubled his Premier League goal tally for the second consecutive season, scoring 17 goals in 34 games as United won their first league title in four years and Ronaldo lifted his first league title in club football.
The Portugal star also scored in the Champions League semifinal defeat to AC Milan to end the season with 23 goals (17 EPL, 3 Champions League, 3 FA Cup) in 53 games in all competitions.
#3 2007-08 (42 goals)
It was the season when the enormous potential of Cristiano Ronaldo came into full bloom.
Ronaldo produced the first and only 30-goal Premier League season of his career as United won consecutive league titles for the first time in seven years en route to scoring 42 goals in 49 games in all competitions.
The Portuguese winger scored the only hat-trick of his United career during this season (against Newcastle United in the Premier League) as he became the first winger to win the European Golden Shoe award. Ronaldo's 33rd goal of the season bettered George Best's 32-goal 1967-68 season for the best Manchester United goal-scoring season by a midfielder.
In the Champions League, Ronaldo brought up his first group-stage goals as he found the back of the net against his former club Sporting Lisbon (away), a brace against Dynamo Kyiv (away), and goals apiece in home wins against Dynamo Kyiv and Sporting Lisbon.
Ronaldo scored the winning goal in the 2-1 aggregate win in the Round of 16 against Olympique Lyonnais and scored in a 2-0 quarter-final win at AS Roma.
After failing to score in both legs in the 1-0 aggregate win over Barcelona in the semis, Ronaldo scored the opener in the final against fellow Premier League club Chelsea.
Despite Ronaldo missing his spot-kick in the ensuing penalty shootout, United won their third title in the competition, and their first since their 1999 triumph as the Portuguese winger won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year for topping the season scoring charts with 8 goals.
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