This is why Juve signed me: Ronaldo
Juventus have never before overturned a two-goal deficit at home in European competition - but then they never had Cristiano Ronaldo leading their attack.
If the aim of buying the five-time Ballon d'Or winner really was to make a difference on big Champions League nights, it certainly paid off yesterday morning in Turin (Singapore time), reported Reuters.
The 34-year-old got his eighth Champions League hat-trick - two headers and a late penalty - as Juve overturned a 2-0 last-16, first-leg deficit against Atletico Madrid by winning 3-0 against a side that had not conceded a goal in their previous four Champions League games.
"It was meant to be a special night and it was, not just for my goals, but for the attitude we showed," said Ronaldo.
"That is the sort of mentality you need to win the Champions League.
"This was why Juventus brought me here.
"To help do things that they have never done before."
The Portuguese's former United teammate Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, called Ronaldo "a living football god".
He said on BT Sport: "He's a living football god.
"It's ridiculous what he's doing. All the records - in the Champions League he's got every record you can imagine.
"He has the joint-most hat-tricks with (Lionel) Messi...
"This by the way is against an Atletico Madrid team who are renowned for having an unbelievable defence.
"He's scored a hat-trick!
UNBELIEVABLE
"He didn't look nervous did he (for the penalty)? Unbelievable. 'This is my house,' he said. Get out. Ridiculous."
Former England striker Gary Lineker added: "I think he's the best header of a ball I've ever seen."
"Cristiano imposes his law," said the front page of Spanish newspaper Marca, while daily AS hailed Ronaldo, who is the leading scorer in the competition, as "the king of the Champions League".
It was all very different at the first leg, where former Real Madrid forward Ronaldo was jeered by Atletico fans and the home side's second goal took a deflection off him.
Angry at the barracking, the Portuguese replied by holding up five fingers to remind them of the five times he had won Europe's elite club competition.
After scoring his last goal, the decisive penalty four minutes from time, Ronaldo goaded his old enemy Atletico by mimicking Diego Simeone's crotch-grabbing celebration in front of the Spanish fans.
The Atletico coach took no offence at Ronaldo's shenanigans. Said Simeone: "He will have seen how I did it at the Wanda Metropolitano and, like me, was trying to show his character. Ronaldo is the best in the world, he can put in these performances on big nights."
Meanwhile, Juventus' shares soared by over 20 per cent on the Milan stock exchange after Ronaldo's European heroics.
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