Ronaldo hat-trick fires Juve to remarkable comeback

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Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus
  • Post published:March 13, 2019

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brilliant hat-trick as Juventus produced a stunning Champions League comeback, winning 3-0 at home against Atletico Madrid to progress to the quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate.

Juve thought they had scored an early goal when Giorgio Chiellini struck from close range, only for referee Bjorn Kuipers to hand out a foul for Ronaldo’s challenge on goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Koke fired a warning shot over the crossbar at the other end, but Juve then took a 27th-minute lead. Bernardeschi popped up on the left to deliver a wonderful in-swinging cross that allowed Ronaldo to overpower Juanfran at the back post and beat Oblak with a downward header.

Oblak tipped over a header from a bloodied Chiellini, but Atletico almost levelled on the stroke of half-time, Alvaro Morata only able to nod Koke’s right-wing centre over the crossbar.

That miss was punished four minutes after the restart when goal-line technology ruled that Oblak had failed to keep out another Ronaldo header, Joao Cancelo this time providing the cross.

With the tie level, Juve smelled blood and sent on Paulo Dybala and Moise Kean, the teenager drilling a massive chance wide of the far post moments after his introduction.

Bernardeschi had dropped into a deeper role following the attacking changes, but the winger forged forward and drew a clumsy foul from Correa to end a dazzling solo run, Kuipers pointing to the spot.

Ronaldo was never going to miss, sending Oblak the wrong way to ensure Juve marched on at Atletico’s expense, Diego Simeone’s side going out of the competition after failing to record a shot on target in the second leg.