Ronaldo bicycle kick a stunner
Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest masterpiece was so good even the opposing fans had to stand up and applaud.
Ronaldo pulled off a spectacular overhead kick to score his second goal of the night on Tuesday (Wednesday NZT) as his Real Madrid beat Juventus 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal. Even by Ronaldo’s record-breaking standards, this one was special.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon pulled off a fantastic save to deny Lucas Vazquez but then Ronaldo leapt acrobatically into the air to meet a cross with his back to goal and smashed the ball into the bottom right corner.
Even the Juventus fans rose to give him an ovation, having jeered his every touch previously. And Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, himself considered one of the best players in history, clutched his head in amazement.
‘‘Cristiano is simply a different player than all the others,’’ Zidane said.
‘‘He shows that every time. He always has a great desire to do great things in the Champions League, he never gets tired of doing what he does ... I’m the coach but also a fan. That’s why I put my hands on my head.’’
Ronaldo had also scored the opening goal just three minutes into the game, and he later set up the third for Marcelo as Madrid took a commanding lead back home for the second leg.