Real Madrid 3-0 VfL Wolfsburg
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a superb
hat-trick as Real Madrid overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit against
Wolfsburg to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
The Portuguese swept home the first from six yards before a glancing header levelled the scores on aggregate.
Ronaldo's hat-trick goal came from a free-kick when Wolfsburg's wall parted.
It completed a quite remarkable turnaround by the 10-time champions of Europe and keeps alive a season that looked to be over for Zinedine Zidane's side after last week's loss in Germany.
- Relive the action from Tuesday's Champions League quarter-finals
Ronaldo magic leaves Wolfsburg reeling
Three months ago Real fans were waving white handkerchiefs in a show of anger during the final throes of Rafael Benitez's short-lived reign.On Tuesday, supporters gave the players a standing ovation after a dominant performance saw them advance to the semi-finals for the sixth successive season.
Ronaldo grabbed the match ball at the final whistle and placed it under his shirt as he lapped up the applause from the stands after his fifth Champions League treble - and third of this season.
Yet, despite his hat-trick, this was a team effort from Zidane's side.
Sergio Ramos twice struck the woodwork while substitute Jese forced a fine one-handed from Diego Benaglio.
Can Real win it?
Real join Manchester City in Friday's draw (11:30 BST), with the winners of Atletico Madrid's tie with Barcelona and the game between Benfica and Bayern Munich to decide the remaining two places.Real have come alive in recent weeks under Zidane, with a deserved El Clasico win over arch rivals Barcelona one of the highlights of their late season flourish.
Yet, as good as Real Madrid were, Wolfsburg were poor defensively after sitting back and inviting pressure.
Ronaldo was unmarked when he tapped home his first, while his third goal from a set-piece came after the German wall disintegrated.
While Barca will remain favourites to defend the trophy they won last June, Real are hitting form at the right time and cannot be ignored.
Man of the Match - Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
What they said
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane singled out Ronaldo for praise but added: "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."
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale: "We have shown the world what we are capable of.
"We knew this was going to be a difficult test, but we felt we could really do it and we did."
Wolfsburg boss Dieter Hecking: "We should have defended better. To go to the next stage, we needed a goal.
"Two of the three goals were from dead balls and so that tells you that we didn't defend right."
The stats you need to know
- Ronaldo has now scored 34 goals (and has eight assists) in 36 Champions League knockout matches for Real Madrid.
- Ronaldo has scored in 62 different Champions League matches; more than any other player (Raul - 56, next most).
- The Portuguese forward has now scored 16 goals in the Champions League this season - only Ronaldo (17 in 2013-14) has more in a single CL campaign.
- This was only the third time in 16 occasions that a team losing 0-2 away in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie have progressed after the second leg (after Barcelona v AC Milan in 2013 & Man Utd v Olympiakos in 2014).
- Real Madrid are still the only team yet to concede a goal at home in the Champions League this season.
Who's next?
Real, who trail by four points, now turn their attention to catching Barcelona at the top of La Liga and play struggling Getafe away on Saturday (15:00 BST).Wolfsburg, eighth in the Bundesliga table, play on the same day away to Werder Bremen (14:30 BST).
Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick takes Real Madrid into Champions League semis
Cristiano
Ronaldo bent his knees in time to the clapping that rang round the
Santiago Bernabéu, took a deep breath, shoulders heaving, and began his
run‑up, hitting the ball past the wall and into the net to complete his hat-trick and carry Real Madrid through to the Champions League semi‑final.
There were 13 minutes to play and nervous moments ahead but his 14th, 15th and 16th goals in this year’s European competition were enough to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg.
As the ball hit the net, Ronaldo raced to the corner, celebrating a dramatic comeback. It wasn’t over yet but Madrid were close now and for the first time in more than two-and-a-half hours of football, they were in front on aggregate.
Wolfsburg could not find the away goal that would change everything – nor could Madrid end the nerves with a fourth before the final whistle sounded, Karim Benzema and Jesé both forcing saves. Ultimately, though, this was the goal that won it.
After eight failed attempts at European comebacks over the past decade, Madrid had finally succeeded, their reward a sixth successive semi-final. Few had expected it to take so long when Madrid had opened the scoring after quarter of an hour, still less when they had doubled that lead, but here at last they were.
Amid all the talk of epic nights and heroism, Luka Modric had warned: “We have to have a cool head, be patient and play football. We’re not going to settle this in five minutes.”
No, but they did draw level in two. Twice Dani Carvajal ran at Wolfsburg and twice Ronaldo scored: 86 seconds had gone by between the two goals. First, Carvajal’s cross reached Ronaldo at the far post, then another delivery seeking him resulted in a corner from which the Portugal international headed in.
Wolfsburg’s plan was in pieces, although ditching it may well have been beneficial to them, or so it seemed. They had appeared fearful and things became worse when Julian Draxler was forced off, the difference between the two teams so great that the only doubt was how Madrid ever found themselves in this mess in the first place. Yet Wolfsburg did now take a step up to play a game they had previously hoped to see pass by.
Josuha Guilavogui’s long shot drew an easy save from Keylor Navas and Bruno Henrique wasted a wonderful chance, hesitating on the edge of the six-yard box before half-time.
A new game opened up: all square, 45 minutes to play. The risk for Real, of course, lay in the value given to any goals Wolfsburg could score and the later the game got, the finer the margins would become, the greater the tension.
There were some moments of doubt, too, notably when Dante failed to connect properly with a close-range header, every chance a collective coronary.
Madrid, though, pressed for the third and if the chances were not always clearcut, the pressure built. Madrid thought they had it on 65 minutes when Sergio Ramos leapt to head a corner off the post, along the line and, somehow, into the hands of Diego Benaglio – and did eventually get it 12 minutes later. This was to prove definitive.
Modric was brought down just outside the area and Ronaldo stood over the ball, the defensive wall and a semi‑final place opening up before him.
Keywords : Real Madrid vs Wolfsburg, Real Madrid vs Wolfsburg highlights, Cristiano Ronaldo
There were 13 minutes to play and nervous moments ahead but his 14th, 15th and 16th goals in this year’s European competition were enough to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg.
As the ball hit the net, Ronaldo raced to the corner, celebrating a dramatic comeback. It wasn’t over yet but Madrid were close now and for the first time in more than two-and-a-half hours of football, they were in front on aggregate.
Wolfsburg could not find the away goal that would change everything – nor could Madrid end the nerves with a fourth before the final whistle sounded, Karim Benzema and Jesé both forcing saves. Ultimately, though, this was the goal that won it.
After eight failed attempts at European comebacks over the past decade, Madrid had finally succeeded, their reward a sixth successive semi-final. Few had expected it to take so long when Madrid had opened the scoring after quarter of an hour, still less when they had doubled that lead, but here at last they were.
Amid all the talk of epic nights and heroism, Luka Modric had warned: “We have to have a cool head, be patient and play football. We’re not going to settle this in five minutes.”
No, but they did draw level in two. Twice Dani Carvajal ran at Wolfsburg and twice Ronaldo scored: 86 seconds had gone by between the two goals. First, Carvajal’s cross reached Ronaldo at the far post, then another delivery seeking him resulted in a corner from which the Portugal international headed in.
Wolfsburg’s plan was in pieces, although ditching it may well have been beneficial to them, or so it seemed. They had appeared fearful and things became worse when Julian Draxler was forced off, the difference between the two teams so great that the only doubt was how Madrid ever found themselves in this mess in the first place. Yet Wolfsburg did now take a step up to play a game they had previously hoped to see pass by.
Josuha Guilavogui’s long shot drew an easy save from Keylor Navas and Bruno Henrique wasted a wonderful chance, hesitating on the edge of the six-yard box before half-time.
A new game opened up: all square, 45 minutes to play. The risk for Real, of course, lay in the value given to any goals Wolfsburg could score and the later the game got, the finer the margins would become, the greater the tension.
There were some moments of doubt, too, notably when Dante failed to connect properly with a close-range header, every chance a collective coronary.
Madrid, though, pressed for the third and if the chances were not always clearcut, the pressure built. Madrid thought they had it on 65 minutes when Sergio Ramos leapt to head a corner off the post, along the line and, somehow, into the hands of Diego Benaglio – and did eventually get it 12 minutes later. This was to prove definitive.
Modric was brought down just outside the area and Ronaldo stood over the ball, the defensive wall and a semi‑final place opening up before him.
Keywords : Real Madrid vs Wolfsburg, Real Madrid vs Wolfsburg highlights, Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid 3-0 VfL Wolfsburg
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