Ronaldo lauded after bicycle-kick goal buries Juve

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a record-breaking goal and a stunning overheadbicycle kick to bury Juventus 3-0 on Tuesday in a rematch of last year’sChampions League final.Ronaldo became the first player to score in 10 consecutive ChampionsLeague games after just as Real Madrid beat Juventus 3-0 in the firstleg of the quarter-finals in Turin, but it was his second goal thateverybody will remember.The Portuguese superstar surpassed himself with a breathtaking overheadhit from inside the box to help put holders Real Madrid closer to thesemi-finals.“One of the most beautiful goals in the history of football,” said Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.It took him only two minutes and 47 seconds to open the scoring in Turin, flicking in Isco’s cross.But the jeers of the home fans turned to applause and earned him astanding ovation after 64 minutes when Dani Carvajal crossed back intothe area where Ronaldo connected with an outrageous bicycle kick.Ronaldo responded by putting his hand to his heart and giving a slightbow of gratitude to the crowd. “The applause for Cristiano says it all,”said Carvajal.“Cristiano does things sometimes that only he can do,” said Zidane. “Itcan be said that it is one of the most beautiful goals in the history offootball. “It’s maybe not as beautiful as mine in Glasgow,” joked Zidane of hisgoal against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 that gave Real their ninthChampions League title.“I’m the coach but I’m also a football fan, when I see something likethat... that’s why Ronaldo is different from others because he can dothat kind of thing. “I’m happy for him and happy to have him on our team.”Ronaldo has been on a goalscoring streak of 19 goals in his last ninegames for Real — 28 in 2018 — a feat which even Zidane has said makeshim jealous.He has now scored 16 goals in his past 10 Champions League games — 14goals this season and a double in last year’s final against Juventus. He holds the record for Champions League goals scored with 119.“The Juventus fans applauded Ronaldo but also for his team,” said Zidane. “It’s beautiful. You don’t see that everywhere.”Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri admitted he was amazed by hisability to change his style of play in his thirties to adapt to losingsome of his once-searing pace. “I don’t know if Ronaldo’s goal is the best in football history, butit’s really an extraordinary goal, you can only congratulate him on whathe’s doing at present,” said Allegri.“The applause is a beautiful lesson from the Juventus fans to the wholeworld, football is a show, when you have 22 or 30 high level players andyou see a shot like this one it’s good to applaud.” The five-time world footballer of the year has now scored in his lastsix matches against veteran Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon,netting nine in total.“We saw what Ronaldo is and always has been — a player of anextraordinary level who along with Leo Messi is achieving the greatestheights,” said Buffon.“This means they can be compared to Maradona and Pele for the way theyultimately are able to decide matches and trophies won by their teams.”“When you play against one of the best players in the world, likeCristiano Ronaldo, you need perfection, if you leave space he punishesyou, and then he invented a goal that will remain in history. It’s apity that he did it to us,” lamented defender Andrea Barzagli. Not only was the world of football talking about Ronaldo’s goal, NBAstar Lebron James published a photo on Instagram of the action and worldMotoGP champion Marc Marquez, a Barcelona fan, tweeted: “Bufff what agreat goal for CR7!!!”. “Cristiano Ronaldo can now leave the Earth and start playing against theMartians, he has done everything here!” tweeted the Real Madriddefender Alvaro Arbeloa.“Seen a lot of great goals in my time but that is absolutelybreathtaking from Ronaldo,” said former England player Gary Lineker.“The opposing fans in the stadium applauding the great @cristiano afterthe bicycle kick and rightly so. Keeps on upping the ante — relentless!”tweeted Rio Ferdinand.