Cristiano Ronaldo does the Diego Simeone celebration as Juventus beat Atletico Madrid to reach Champions League quarterfinals.
The unthinkable has happened. It is such a commonality with Cristiano Ronaldo, however, that it doesn’t look like a surprise anymore.
The Portuguese forward stepped up on the night when Juventus needed at least three goals to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League – by scoring a hattrick against one of the best defences in Europe.
Atletico Madrid, who boast of their defensive abilities led by Diego Simeone, were humbled by the former Real Madrid man at Turin.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 52nd career hattrick in 8th in the Champions League as Juventus produced a stunning turnaround in the round-of-16 of the competition. With this win, they joined Ajax and Manchester United, who also won in similar fashion last week.
Ronaldo opened the goalscoring in the first half, and doubled the lead soon after the kick-off in the second. Giorgio Chiellini was brilliant in the defence as he led a brilliant defensive performance for the host side to deny Atletico Madrid a space to penetrate into.
Juventus were awarded a penalty in the 86th minute and Ronaldo kept his calm to net the ball past Jan Oblak and seal the path to the quarterfinals.
He celebrated rather savagely after the goal.
Ronaldo does the Diego Simeone celebration:
Diego Simeone famously did the crotch-grab celebration during the side’s win against Juventus in the first leg of the tie.
Atletico Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0, with goals from Jose Gimenez and Diego Godin late in the second half.
After the full-time whistle in Juventus’ stunning 3-0 victory tonight, the cameras turned to Cristiano Ronaldo who was clearly the man of the moment. And he took the opportunity to rub salt in the wounds for Simeone, as he mocked him with his celebration.
Here’s the video:
Cristiano Ronaldo is the biggest savage alive. He really did the Simeone celebration after the game. #CristianoRonaldo #scorum
pic.twitter.com/Tf7cn0knAJ— Zoneboy (@iamtaofeek) March 12, 2019
How Twitter reacted..
This is the thing people don’t get about Cristiano when they talk about the greatest ever. He doesn’t dictate games, he decides them. Ultimately, nothing else matters and he has more CL knockout goals than anyone in history. By some distance.
— Doc (@Doc_Joshi) March 12, 2019
Last April, Ronaldo got an ovation from Juventus fans for carrying a team from Madrid to a 3-0 win over their own side. Eleven months later, Ronaldo gets an ovation from Juventus fans after carrying their side to a 3-0 win over a team from Madrid.
— Paolo Bandini (@Paolo_Bandini) March 12, 2019
Cristiano Ronaldo’s game by numbers vs. Atletico Madrid:
86% passing accuracy
67 touches
7 touches in opp. box
5 take-ons won
5 shots
3 fouls won
3 shots on target
3 goals
1 hat-trickDefine match-winning. 😏 pic.twitter.com/OwPUOXUF8Y
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 12, 2019
Via @opta
Ronaldo has been directly involved in 77 goals in 77 CL knockout appearances (63 goals, 14 assists). And he’s scored 124 goals in the Champions League, more than Atletico Madrid have scored in the competition (118).
Mental— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) March 12, 2019
What next?
Juventus will know their opponents for the quarterfinal of the competition on March 15.
