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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Hat-trick hero Ronaldo fires Real Madrid into semi-finals

Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Real Madrid to a record sixth successive Champions League semi-final with a hat-trick as the Spanish giants overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit, beating Wolfsburg 3-0 on Tuesday.

Hat-trick hero Ronaldo fires Real Madrid into semi-finals
Photo: AFP

Ronaldo struck twice in just over a minute to bring Madrid level in the tie inside 17 minutes.

Yet, the 10-time winners were forced to wait until 13 minutes from time to find the winner when Ronaldo's dipping free-kick escaped the clutches of Diego Benaglio to find the bottom corner.

“It had to be a magic night and it was. It was the perfect game in the end,” said Ronaldo who became the first player to score three hat-tricks in the competition in one season.

“Goals are in my DNA and I want to keep scoring them for the team.”

Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane hailed his side's collective effort, but reserved special praise for Ronaldo.

“He is showing what he is, which is the best player in the world,” said the Frenchman.

“Cristiano needs the whole team, I want to speak about the team because they achieved this together.

“But he is special because not everyone is capable of scoring three goals.”

Wolfsburg boss Dieter Hecking was left to rue his side's inability to defend from set-pieces and lack of a killer away goal.

“We should have defended better. To go to the next stage, we needed a goal,” he said.

“Two of the three goals were from dead balls and so that tells you that we didn't defend right.”

Roared back 

Madrid hadn't overturned a first-leg deficit in the Champions League in eight attempts stretching back 14 years to when Zidane played for Los Blancos in a quarter-final win over Bayern Munich.

However, they roared back into the tie and were level as Ronaldo struck twice in 86 seconds.

Dani Carvajal replaced the much-criticised Danilo in Madrid's only change from the first leg at right-back and the Spanish international's deflected cross fell perfectly for Ronaldo to tap home the opener at the back post.

The two nearly combined for the second straight from the restart as another dangerous Carvajal effort was just cut out before Ronaldo could head home.

However, there was no stopping the three-time World Player of the Year from the resulting corner as his downward header found the bottom corner of the net.

Wolfsburg's disastrous start was compounded when star midfielder Julian Draxler limped off injured to be replaced by Max Kruse just after the half-hour mark.

Yet, the Germans still managed to grow into the game as the opening 45 minutes wore on.

Luis Gustavo's fierce long-range effort forced Keylor Navas into a decent save before Bruno Henrique squandered a huge chance to net the vital away goal as he hesitated in getting his shot off and Marcelo got back to block the ball behind.

Madrid started on the front foot again at the start of the second half as Ronaldo saw a free-kick deflected wide before Benaglio was forced into a save to prevent Josuha Guilavogui turning a cross into his own net.

The hosts were convinced they had gone ahead for the first time in the tie when Ramos's header came off the inside of the post and rolled along the goal line, but Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai adjudged the ball hadn't crossed the line.

Ronaldo finally struck the decisive blow when his free-kick from 25 yards skidded off the wet turf and beyond the despairing dive of Benaglio to seal his 37th hat-trick for Madrid and 16th Champions League goal of the season.

The 31-year-old is now just one away from equalling his single-season record of 17 goals in 2013/14.

The Swiss 'keeper then kept Wolfsburg in the tie with brilliant saves from Karim Benzema and Jese Rodriguez to set up a grandstand finish.

But Madrid's experience told in the dying stages as they comfortably saw the game out to match Barcelona's record run of six semi-finals between 2008 and 2013.

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FOOTBALL

Black Lives Matter: Marcelo ‘takes the knee’ to celebrate Real Madrid win

Marcelo celebrated by taking a knee as Real Madrid returned from three months away following the coronavirus suspension by beating Eibar 3-1 on Sunday.

Black Lives Matter: Marcelo 'takes the knee' to celebrate Real Madrid win
Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Marcelo kneels on the field to celebrate his goal. Photo: AFP

After scoring Madrid's third goal in the 37th minute, Marcelo dropped onto his left knee and raised his clinched right fist into the air, apparently in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Madrid's win may have come at a cost as Eden Hazard and Sergio Ramos were both substituted early in the second half and were seen with ice packs strapped to them while sitting in the stands.

Hazard was making his first start since February and his ice pack appeared to be around his troublesome right ankle, which he injured in November and February, before undergoing surgery in March.

“We knew Eden would lack a bit of rhythm playing the whole game,” coach Zinedine Zidane said.

“He played well for an hour, he took a knock which was a scare but at half-time he said he was fine. He is happy with what he has done and we are happy with him.”

Madrid's win means they reduce the gap behind league leaders Barcelona back to two points after the Catalans thrashed Real Mallorca 4-0 on Saturday.    

Madrid struck in the fourth minute after a superb strike from Toni Kroos before Ramos tucked away Hazard's pass on the counter-attack.    

Eibar pulled one back in the second half through Pedro Bigas but never found the second to make Madrid nervous, despite a brief spell of pressure.    

Before going off, Hazard was busy, the Belgian involved in all three goals.    

His weaving run through midfield led to Kroos' shot and it was his effort that was cleared out to Marcelo, who drove into the corner.    

After a miserable opening season in Spain, it was a bright start for Hazard, who could now redeem himself by playing a crucial role in the run-in, if he can stay injury-free.

Perhaps even more impressive though was Karim Benzema, who linked up brilliantly with Hazard and was unfortunate not to get the goal an excellent all-round performance deserved.

Gareth Bale started on the bench but came on and could start against Valencia on Thursday.

Zidane is likely to rotate heavily over the next few weeks, with the games coming thick and fast.

New surroundings

Madrid's coach will also have been pleased to get off to a positive start in their new training ground home, which was the 100th different stadium to be used in La Liga.

They will be playing all their remaining home matches at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium to allow renovation work at the Santiago Bernabeu to continue this summer.

“We know the situation, it's all a bit strange,” said Zidane. “But the players are all champions and we have to get our heads around it.”    

Barca had needed less than two minutes to score against Mallorca and Madrid were only slightly later, as Hazard broke through Eibar's midfield and Casemiro set Benzema free.

The ball was cleared to Kroos on the edge of the area, who struck first time, sidefooting perfectly into the far top right-hand corner.   

Ramos doubled their advantage after starting, and finishing, a ruthless counter-attack. In between, Benzema and Hazard were involved again, the former picking out the latter, who generously gave Ramos an open goal.

Marcelo put Eibar all but out of sight before half-time as Benzema played through for Hazard and his shot spilled out to Marcelo to lash into the corner.

Eibar were better after the break as Edu Exposito forced a full-stretch save from Thibaut Courtois and then Sergi Enrich headed against the crossbar. 

Bigas did score after diverting in Pedro Leon's shot but Madrid held on.    

Earlier, Diego Costa scored his first goal since October but Atletico Madrid missed the chance to move into La Liga's top four by drawing 1-1 away at Athletic Bilbao.

Costa celebrated by holding up the shirt of Virgina Torrecilla, a player from Atletico's women's team, who underwent surgery on a brain tumour last month.

His equaliser came two minutes after the excellent Iker Muniain had given Bilbao the lead towards the end of the first half and neither side could find a winner at the empty San Mames, with Atletico defender Santiago Arias missing the best chance late on.

Diego Simeone's side stay sixth, level on points with Getafe and one behind Real Sociedad, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Osasuna.

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