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When it comes to the Messi vs Ronaldo debate there is little question who is more prominent on the Champions League stage.
The Portuguese attacking player is dressed in records; including scoring 121 goals in the Champions League thus beating Messi to becoming the first man in history to score a Century of goals in the European competition.
Reaching double figures in 7 consecutive Champions League seasons with Real Madrid, he remains the only player to score in three Uefa Champions League finals and the first to score in 11 successive Champions League matches. Having opened his Juventus European account, fittingly against his former English club, he looks poised for more.
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He has the opportunity to become the second man to win the Champions League at 3 different clubs, after Clarence Seedorf. (Clarence Seedorf won the Champions League with Ajax (Netherlands), Real Madrid (Spain) and AC Milan (Italy).
Ronaldo has scored 582 goals in his career so far. At Manchester United, Ronaldo scored 112 goals in 292 games. At Real Madrid, he racked up his 324 goals in just 310 games to become the club's, top scorer. A man who has scored a further 34 hat-tricks in La Liga, the record for the most hat-tricks in La Liga history, 4 ahead of his close rival Messi.
Despite scoring 14 more goals than Messi in the Champions League, he is sat behind the Argentinian with only 7 hat-ricks compared to 8. Albeit being second in the record books or all-time champions League Hat- tricks isn't bad...
Here is a look at Ronaldo's top 3 Champions League Hatricks
#1 The first of Many 2012
A cheeky chip over goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer gave Ronaldo his first Champions League hat-trick as Real Madrid thumped Ajax 3-1 in the second group stage match in 2012. This would be his 43rd goal in the European competition and the beginning of something special. Real Madrid would, however, go on to lose on penalties to Bayern in the Semifinal in a year which saw Chelsea claim their first Champions League title.
#2 Running Riot in Istanbul 2013
Ronaldo scored half of his side's goals as they beat a tired Galatasaray 6-1
The first came when Galatasaray failed to deal with Di Maria's cross and Ronaldo was able to rifle home from Isco's knock-back, the second when Portugal forward lashed home the rebound from a free-kick taken by record signing Bale.
A mouthwatering dribble saw Ronaldo weave through the Turkish defence and a low blast past the outstretched hands of Fernando Musrela brought up Ronaldo’s second European hat-trick. This provided Ronaldo with his 54th goal in the European competition.
Isco and Karim Benzema also feasted on some poor Galatasaray defending that night as Benzema netted twice.
This year again Real Madrid would lose out in the Semi-Finals, but this time to the other major German club as they lost 4-3 on aggregate to Dortmund.
#3 Dominant display in Germany
Ronaldo's 6th Champions League hattrick was arguably his best but also his most controversial as Real Madrid beat a confident Bayern team to progress into the semi-finals of the 2017 competition.
With a controversial Red card and an offside goal in the game, Ronaldo's Hat-trick only added to the excitement.
Ancelotti said Uefa should use video technology but that it should not have been necessary to see that the sending-off was wrong. “I could see he touched the ball,” he added. Asked what he said to the referee afterwards, Ancelotti smiled and broke from Spanish to quote himself in English, “good job”. Zinédine Zidane preferred not to talk about the referee but the Real Madrid coach did add, “They told me their second goal was offside too.”
Lewandowski opened the scoring with a penalty but Ronaldo responded with a header from a diagonal ball from Carvahal levelling the scores. Bayern would score again though only 2 minutes after Real, making the score 2-1 on the night but 3-3 on aggregate. A controversial call in the 84th minute would see Vidal sent off and Bayern left with ten men heading into extra time.
A rampant Ronaldo and Real Madrid pounced on this opportunity scoring 3 in extra time. Ronaldo's controversial second came on the 105th minute, controlling a cross with his chest in the box and pushing it past Neuer, despite there being strong claims for offside. The Portuguese attacking man would finish his Hattrick only 4 minutes later with a simple finish after Marcelo's build up play.
This would bring up Ronaldos century of goals as he scored 5 of Real Madrid's 6 over the two-quarter final legs. He is still the only person to have achieved this and is currently on 115.
