Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s ongoing battle to be the top goalscorer in European football remains perhaps the sport’s greatest drama of our age, but both need to raise their game considerably if they are to scoop the following European Champion Clubs’ Cup and UEFA Champions League records.
Final goals Most goals in European Cup finals: 7 – Alfrédo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás (both Real Madrid) Goals in most European Cup finals: 5 – Alfrédo Di Stefano (Real Madrid, 1956, 1957, 1958. 1959, 1960) Most goals in a single European Cup final: 4 – Ferenc Puskás (Real Madrid, 1960) Most goals in a single UEFA Champions League final: 2 – Daniele Massaro (AC Milan, 1994), Karl-Heinz Riedle (Borussia Dortmund, 1997), Hernán Crespo (Milan, 2005), Filippo Inzaghi (Milan, 2007), Diego Milito (Internazionale Milano, 2010)
Zinedine Zidane hailed Real Madrid’s comeback against Wolfsburg as the “best night” of his fledgling coaching career.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick saw Real overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg to progress to the Champions League semi-finals.
The Portuguese forward – hailed as “the best player in the world” by his coach – scored twice in the space of 88 first-half seconds before securing a 3-2 aggregate victory from a 77th-minute free-kick.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at his critics after his 37th Real Madrid hat-trick helped them reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Real overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 on Tuesday.
In February, the Portuguese forward walked out of a Champions League news conference after being questioned about his record in away matches this season.
“Considering this has been a ‘bad’ season for me, it has not been that bad,” Ronaldo, 31, said after victory.
He scored twice in three minutes early on to cancel out Wolfsburg’s advantage, sweeping home at the back post from six yards before glancing a header into the far corner.
He completed his hat-trick and sealed Real’s place in the last four with a 25-yard free-kick 13 minutes from time at the Bernabeu Stadium.
Ronaldo, who was booed by his own supporters during the 2-0 second-leg victory over Roma in the last 16, took his tally to 46 goals in all competitions this season, including 16 in the Champions League.
“It was not the best, but one of my best, European nights,” said Ronaldo.
“It was a magic night for me. I’m very happy after having scored three goals and raised my numbers, but the most important thing was the team. The team was intense and played very well. It is a beautiful night.
“People can criticise me but I just keep on going and the numbers are there for all to see. I am very happy and with a month left of the season I can get even better.
“It’s not bad, is it? Goals are in my DNA and I want to keep scoring them for the team.”
Real coach Zinedine Zidane said: “What can I tell you about Cristiano? He is demonstrating how good he is. He makes the difference.
“He is the best player in the world and nights like tonight make him a special player. Cristiano needs the whole team too but not everyone can score three goals in a game.”
Manchester City reached the semi-finals by beating Paris St-Germain, while Atletico Madrid face Barcelona and Benfica meet Bayern Munich on Wednesday for the final two places.
Real Madrid defender Pepe has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to become one of the best players ever, and says his teammate for club and country is “light years ahead of anyone else” currently.
Three-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has scored 43 goals in 41 appearances for Real Madrid this season, and has helped lead Los Blancos to the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the sixth straight season.
Cristiano Ronaldo is chasing a fifth European Golden Shoe after adding to his tally with the winner in El Clasico at the weekend.
The Real Madrid star is already the only man to have won the award on four separate occasions and is only one goal adrift of Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain and Benfica’s Jonas this season.
With more games remaining in Spain than Portugal, and Higuain facing a four-game suspension in Italy, Ronaldo is well placed to retain the prize.
However, the race for the Golden Shoe isn’t as straightforward as it seems. As well as goals, the strength of the league you’re playing in is also a factor.
Barcelona 1 (Pique 56′) – 2 (Benzema 62′, Ronaldo 85′) Real Madrid
Match report
Real Madrid battled back from a goal down to end Barcelona’s unbeaten run in a tense Clasico on Saturday evening.
Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed an 85th minute winner for his side as Luis Enrique’s men were unable to beat a Real Madrid reduced to 10 men, after Sergio Ramos was sent off for two bookable offences.
A tentative first 45 minutes ended goalless with Barcelona enjoying the majority of possession. Real were set out in a far more rigid defensive style than we have seen from them this season and the home side found it difficult to carve open opportunities, though Luis Suarez was guilty of missing a golden chance early on.
It took until the 56th minute for Gerard Pique to open the scoring, losing his marker, Pepe, at a corner and powering a header into the bottom corner of Keylor Navas’ goal.
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Real responded almost immediately, Marcelo making a rare venture outside the confines of his position at left-back and going on a marauding run down the wing, leaving static Barca players behind as he surged forwards. The ball was released by the box, the cross took a wicked deflection and fell above the head of Karim Benzema, who adjusted his body and scored with an acrobatic volley.
Real sat back, marshaled by a brilliant Casemiro, and invited Barcelona to attack them, looking to spring attacks on the counter. But as Lionel Messi dropped deeper and deeper to try and get involved, so Real took a stronger hold of the game.