Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo starred in last night’s triumph over Atletico Madrid. The 34-year old netted a hattrick to sent Juventus through to the quarterfinals. He sent in two headers and an 86th minute penalty to ensure that the Serie A giants sealed a berth.
Meanwhile, in the stand with thousands of Juventus fans, Ronaldo’s girlfriend and his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, had contrasting emotions. Georgina Rodriguez was reduced to tears of joy, while Jr. was busy punching the air in jubilation.
Rodriguez later took to Instagram to pay tribute to her boyfriend.
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“This 3-0 nobody steals it. You deserve it, not for the 3 goals tonight. You deserve it for your dedication, for what you get in the club where you are.”
“You are a trailblazer for your team-mates, coach and everyone we admire and support every day,” she wrote alongside a childhood pic of Ronaldo.
“Karma exists. God knows, God gives it to you, because the world of soccer is yours. WE LOVE YOU. Cristianito, Mateo, Eva, Alana, Georgina.”
After the game, Ronaldo revealed to the Express that he was confident that Juve would pull through.
“It was meant to be a special night and it was, not just for my goals but for the attitude we showed,” he said
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“That is the sort of mentality you need to win the Champions League.
“This was why Juventus brought me here. To help do things that they have never done before.”
Ronaldo also seemingly mocked Atletico manager, Diego Simeone after the match. During the first leg, which Atletico won, Simeone was seen grabbing his crotch. He later admitted the the gesture was to show that Atletico showed “a lot of balls”.
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In retaliation, after Juve’s win, Ronaldo thrust forward several times as he mimicked Simeone.