Champions League king Ronaldo keeps Old Lady’s dream alive
turin — Cristiano Ronaldo delivered the biggest return yet on Juventus’s multi-million euro investment with an incredible hat trick that rescued their Champions League dream against Atletico Madrid.
The Portuguese star made light work of the much-vaunted Atletico defence, condemning the Spaniards, who had won the first leg 2-0, to the role of spectators in the Allianz Stadium.
“A Legend continues,” headlined the daily ‘A Bola’ in Ronaldo’s native Portugal with the Italian press hailing the performance as “Monstrous”, “Fabulous,” “Martians”.
Two headers and a penalty four minutes from time clinched a place in Friday’s last-eight draw with a dominant display and 3-2 aggregate victory.
“This is why Juventus bought me, to help them in games like this,” said the 34-year-old.
Juventus signed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner for 100 million euros ($117 million) last summer and pay him a 31 million euros annual salary. In return his mission is help the Italian giants to win the Champions League for the third time and first since 1996.
Time seems to have no hold on the Portuguese ace whose on-pitch performance has been unaffected by off-pitch concerns including an investigation of rape allegations against him in the United States dating back to 2009 which he vehemently denies.
Before Tuesday’s game, Ronaldo had scored just once in the Champions League this season, and a defeat would have been a failure not only for the team but a personal one.
Clearly the five-time Champions League winner — four times with Real Madrid and once with Manchester United — had not come to Turin to be eliminated in the last 16.
His four goals in the competition this season brings his record tally to 124 in 160 European matches — 16 more than Lionel Messi and six more than the entire Atletico team.
Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski has scored eight this season.
“It’s impossible to think Cristiano would only score one goal in this Champions League,” said coach Massimiliano Allegri. Ronaldo’s arrival had made Juventus one of the favourites in the Champions League, which the Serie A champions have lost five times in the final since their 1996 title.
He has also given Juventus a new focus this season as they are already practically assured of an eighth consecutive Scudetto with an 18-point advantage on their nearest rivals.
“Our self-esteem has grown,” said captain Giorgio Chiellini of Ronaldo’s presence. “Cristiano has given us that little bit extra.”
Real Madrid, the three-time holders, showed they were sorely missing his presence when they were eliminated by Ajax Amsterdam, one of Juventus’s possible quarterfinal opponents.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is wary of the threat of a Ronaldo-led Juventus.