Ronaldo Hits Hat-Trick As Juventus Edge Atletico In Champions League
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Cristiano Ronaldo shot Juventus into the Champions League last eight on Tuesday with a hat-trick that saw his side overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit against Atletico Madrid with a thrilling 3-0 win in Turin.
The Portuguese struck either side of half-time to level the aggregate scores before crashing home the decisive penalty kick four minutes from the end.
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Ronaldo was signed from Real Madrid in order to help Juve turn domestic dominance into European success and he pulled off his most important display for the Serie A club since arriving in pre-season with his team with their backs to the wall following their 2-0 defeat in Madrid last month.
The 34-year-old rose to head home Federico Bernardeschi’s 27th-minute cross to get the ball rolling before repeating the trick with Joao Cancelo’s swinging ball two minutes after the break to get the Allianz Stadium roaring with belief.
With the tie delicately poised he stepped up to score the winning goal of a pulsating tie from the spot after Bernardeschi was brought down by Angel Correa, keeping alive Juve’s hopes of a first Champions League title since 1996.
UEFA Champions League leading scorers after Tuesday’s matches:
8 goals: Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
6 goals: Marega (FC Porto), Messi (Barcelona), Tadic (Ajax)
5 goals: Aguero (Manchester City), Dybala (Juventus), Dzeko (Roma), Kane (Tottenham), Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Neymar (Paris SG)
4 goals: Benzema (Real Madrid), Ronaldo (Juventus), Jesus (Manchester City), Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Icardi (Inter Milan), Mbappe (Paris SG), Sane (Manchester City)
AFP