Real Madrid 3 Atletico Madrid 0: Cristiano Ronaldo nets yet another hat-trick to put Los Blancos on the brink of Champions League final
The Portuguese superstar scored once in the first half and twice in the second as Atletico folded under the pressure of the Bernabeu
REAL MADRID superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is single-handedly carrying his side to unprecedented back-to-back Champions League titles.
And the Berna-boom of noise that followed his third goal will haunt Atletico boss Diego Simeone forever.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to seal the first-leg win against Atletico Madrid
While Ron’s opener sparked debate over whether he was offside — he was not — a stunning second and terrific third took holders Real to the brink of another final, their third in four years.
No team has won back-to-back Champions League titles in the 25 years of the new format. On this form, Real can.
He now has two more stunning records: 13 goals in Champions League semi-finals and a record 52 goals in the competition’s knockout stage.
It was his second successive hat-trick in the Champions League and he has banged seven strikes in his last three matches in the competition.
Ron said: “I’m very happy for the goals and for reaching 400 goals with Real Madrid. It was a total game from the team. We have a good advantage but it’s not finished.
“Atletico are very strong, they are not in semis by chance and we have to be concentrated next week. But we have to congratulate the whole team.
“It fell to me to score the goals. We played well from start to finish and the goals came naturally. We deserved a complete game against them.”
Ronaldo’s latest hat-trick — the 47th of his career — added to five goals in the two quarter-final ties with Bayern Munich.
Team-mate Toni Kroos said: “It’s great to have a player like him because you can play good in defence, control midfield but in the end you need a player who will score, and he did.
“He always does. He scored five in the quarter-final and three today, so it’s incredible for us.”
Zinedine Zidane’s Real bled their rivals dry.
Real were head and shoulders above Simeone’s side.
This had by rights become the biggest derby in European competitions in the last four seasons.
Those two met in two finals in the last three years with a quarter-final sandwiched in between.
All were won by Real. Dramatically. And all left Atletico broken.
This was their chance at redemption, with the second leg at the Vicente Calderon next Wednesday.
I say WAS with utmost certainty because there is no coming back for them.
First off we had THAT mosaic. Across the whole of the Bernabeu. With a giant Ol’ Big Ears across all FIVE of the old stadium’s tiers.
It was daunting. Imposing. It was pressing two points home to their rivals.
This most controversial Champions League gesture played on the untold heartache suffered by the city’s underdogs. It left Atletico fuming.
Arguably, it lacked class. But it worked.
The Bernabeu’s Fondo Sur — South Kop — just asked with a giant banner: “Tell me how you feel?”
It was accompanied by two words “Lisbon, Milan” either side of another Champions League trophy.
They stuck two fingers up at their rivals for the two finals. That Madrid won against Atletico — in 2014 and 2016.
If ever there was a football curse, then that is to support the team that is NOT Real in Madrid.
Atletico struggled to get a foothold in the game during the first half
“We are the Kings of Europe” the Bernabeu chanted in deafening unison.
Atletico boss Simeone normally embodies the spirit of the underdogs’ defiance.
Not last night.
When he first came he ended a 14-year winless run without a win against Real. Here, in a Copa del Rey final.
But since then, when it mattered MOST in the Champions League it has been a Real nightmare Atletico keeper Jan Oblak was the hero as Real ran their rivals ragged from the off.
On seven minutes Dani Carvajal broke in from the right, Oblak pushed his shot only as far as Karim Benzema, who looked certain to score but the keeper again blocked.
But after ten minutes Carvajal crossed and Ronaldo was clearly offside — but not active — for the initial cross.
Casemiro came away with a busted lip after clashing with Sergio Ramos and Diego Godin in the air
Stefan Savic cleared in front of Ronaldo but only as far as Casemiro who crossed for the Portuguese — who was now onside — to head home the all-important opener here.
Ref Martin Atkinson rightly judged Ron to be not interfering with play in the “first phase”.
Regardless, Ron is the first player to score 50 goals in the Champions League knockout phase, another historic achievement.
The former Manchester United star has now played an incredible 18 Champions League semi-final matches, one behind Real legend Paco Gento and one more than Xabi Alonso.
Isco was booked after catching a defender high on the ankle early in the second half
Zidane made sure his Real side kept going forward but they could not make their total dominance count.
Suddenly Real keeper Keylor Navas was called into action, diving at the feet of Kevin Gameiro who was one versus one in Atletico’s only real chance.
Luka Modric then fired inches wide. At that point possession was 72-28 in favour of Real.
Zidane’s men had relentless rhythm and pulsating pace but for the fans it was a rollercoaster of emotions.
They could not make their superiority tell.
Ronaldo crossed and Frenchman Benzema’s overhead went just wide.
Cristiano Ronaldo then slotted home from close range to complete his hat-trick
Simeone was frantically charging about in his technical area, kicking every ball.
But he was forced to turn away in disgust time and time again.
Atletico rode their luck going in at half-time just 1-0 down.
But Simeone’s men were still hypnotised after the restart.
They were in this tie until the 74th minute when Ronaldo won the bounce from Filipe Luis and dispatched it past Oblak.
And he put the gloss on an historic victory with four minutes left when he slammed home sub Lucas Vazquez’s cross.
Over here they call Ronaldo “Mr Champions”.
He certainly is that.