Cristiano Ronaldo: 6 games that defined the Real Madrid superstar's career

3. Real Madrid vs Wolfsburg – Quarter-finals, UEFA Champions League 2016

Woflsburg had shocked Real Madrid, and Europe along with them, with a comprehensive 2-0 defeat at home in the first leg of their quarterfinal clash. Faving an uphill task at the Bernabeu, Ronaldo went about displaying just what he could do on a football field.

Over the previous 7 years, Ronaldo had set about breaking just about every record he could get his hands on, and though there were many displays of his pure talent across competitions and against more illustrious opponents, this one had it all.

His oft-underrated off-the-ball-movement saw him glide away from his markers and undetected at the far post was left with a free tap-in. He often gets a lot of brickbats for the number of goals he scores this way – but those are generally from people who quite simply can’t understand just how had it is work yourself into positions like this.

His second came from the one undisputed thing that he does better than anybody else – heading. An intelligent run again left his marker stranded and he eschewed his traditional power-header to glance one into the far post.

His third, though, was the best of them all. With time running out, and Madrid in desperate need of a third to avoid extra-time and the lottery of penalties, up stepped Ronaldo for a freekick just outside the box – and he curled it brilliantly into the bottom corner of the net.