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Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has equaled Barcelona ace Lionel Messi's Champions League hat-trick record with his decisive goal-scoring exploits during the Old Lady's phenomenal comeback win over Atletico Madrid in UCL on Tuesday.
Messi broke the tie he held with Ronaldo during Barcelona's 4-0 victory over PSV in September but it looks like the Portuguese has quickly caught up.
The 34-year-old forward scored his first hat-trick for Juventus to help the club overcome a two-goal first leg deficit against the Spanish giants in the fixture and fired them to the quarter-finals of Europe's top competition.
Before the game, Ronaldo had promised his best effort to fans and urged them to keep a positive mind ahead of the clash. It appears the Portuguese forward is a man of his word after his incredible showing last night.
Speaking to Sky Italia (via Football Italia) after the crucial win, Ronaldo said, "It had to be a special night and it was. This is the mentality you need in the Champions League."
"It had to be a special night and it was, not just for the goals, but for the team and their incredible attitude. This is the mentality you need in the Champions League and we are on the right track."
"This is why Juve brought me in, to help on magic nights like this. Atleti are a really tough team to face, but we are strong too and proved we deserved to go through."
"It’s too early to talk about the Final, let’s take it one step at a time."
While Ronaldo is looking for a fourth consecutive Champions League title, Juventus are hoping to win their first since 1996. The Bianconeri outfit also sits at the top of the Serie A table and it appears a domestic title is inevitable.
Fans have since taken to Twitter to react to the records tug-of-war between the two five-time Ballon d'Or winners:
