Atletico Madrid suffered at the hands of Cristiano Ronaldo once more, the Juventus forward’s hat-trick to secure a 3-2 aggregate win.
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.
A VAR review denied Juve a fourth-minute opener, but Ronaldo’s first header of the game gave them hope and the Serie A leaders drew level in the tie thanks to the Portugal superstar’s aerial power again.
The excellent Federico Bernardeschi then drove into the penalty area and was brought down by Angel Correa, with Ronaldo stepping up with four minutes to go to convert the spot-kick and down Atletico yet again.
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.
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.
In the other fixture, Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane were the architects of Manchester City’s huge home victory over Schalke in the Champions League last 16.
Manchester City cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals as Sergio Aguero’s brace sparked a 7-0 home thumping of Schalke and a crushing 10-2 aggregate victory.
Pep Guardiola’s men sat firmly in the driving seat after a come-from-behind 3-2 success in Gelsenkirchen last month and they were never in danger of letting the lead slip against a passive opponent in this last-16 tie.
Aguero ended Schalke’s early resistance by outfoxing Ralf Fahrmann with a Panenka in the 35th minute, Jeffrey Bruma having impeded Bernardo Silva in the box.
The Argentine added his second three minutes later, poking home at close range courtesy of Raheem Sterling’s backheel from the byline.
Ilkay Gundogan provided fine passes in the lead-up to both goals and Oleksandr Zinchenko soon followed suit with a defence-splitting ball that freed Sane for a left-footed finish.
An offside flag denied the 23-year-old a double after the interval but did not cost him an assist in the 56th minute as the VAR correctly judged Sterling to be onside when he smashed home his fellow winger’s angled pass.
Sane continued to torment his former employers as the second half wore on, teeing up Silva to drive in a fifth in the 71st minute and then playing in teenage substitute Foden to round Fahrmann.
The heaviest ever Champions League defeat for a German side was assured when, six minutes from time, the Schalke skipper failed to stop Jesus’ curling shot from squeezing under him.
