Top 5 UEFA Champions League performances by Cristiano Ronaldo

#2 Real Madrid C.F v Atletico Madrid, 2016-17 UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals -1st Leg

Related image — Ronaldo's hat-trick propelled Madrid into the final

Result: Real Madrid C.F 3-0 Atletico Madrid

Ronaldo scored a hat trick in his second straight Champions League game as Real Madrid swept aside city rivals Atletico 3-0 at the Bernabeu after thrashing Bayern Munich earlier.

Real Madrid dominated from the opening whistle and was rewarded with an early goal as Ronaldo headed home in the 10th minute converting Casemiro's cross after rising above all.

The second half started equally slow, as Atletico looked resolute not to concede anymore until Ronaldo doubled their lead in the 73rd minute when Benzema shrugged off a challenge from Godin and the ball came to Ronaldo, who got the better of by Felipe Luis and slammed it on the half volley giving Oblak no chance.

And Ronaldo soon made it three following a counter-attack after Lucas Vazquez did well to get in round the back and find Ronaldo, who deceived Oblak to send him the wrong way for his third of the night.

It was a night to remember for Cristiano who showed no signs of slowing down even at 32 years of age giving Atletico and Bayern a bashing.

About the author

Samyak is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who focuses on writing a variety of listicles. A post-graduate in Finance with over 6 years of total work experience, Samyak became interested in football after watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup and some high-octane El Clasico clashes. His favorite footballer is Cristiano Ronaldo for the forward's mentality, and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Pep Guardiola for the brand of football their teams showcase.

Samyak only follows top tier and verified fan club social media accounts for sourcing information for his articles. One of his core strengths is crafting crisp and concise articles to avoid any and all potential confusion for readers. These shrewd methods have helped him attain strong readership on his articles, one of them even being read half a million times!

Zinedine Zidane's Panenka penalty in the 2006 final is Samyak’s favorite World Cup moment owing to the Frenchman’s sheer nerves of steel showcased, and thinks Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are ready to usher in a new era post-Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. During his free time, Samyak follows Real Madrid, plays football and reads finance articles.

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Edited by Alan John