Lionel Messi paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo after his superb performance helped Juventus through to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Ronaldo scored an impressive hat-trick against Atletico Madrid to drag the Italian side into the last eight 3-2 on aggregate.
Juventus were 2-0 down from the first leg but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner produced a match-winning performance to overturn the deficit.
“I thought that what happened with Cristiano and Juventus was incredible,” Messi said. “I thought maybe Atletico would be stronger, but Juventus overwhelmed them and Cristiano had a magical night with the three goals.”
Messi himself had a night to remember on Wednesday, the day after Ronaldo’s heroics, to help Barcelona reach the quarter-finals.
He scored twice, and assisted two, as the La Liga club won 5-1 on aggregate against Lyon.
Ronaldo, called a “living football God” by former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand, was pretty happy with his performance against Atletico Madrid, which took his Champions League tally to 124 goals.
“This was why Juventus brought me here, to help do things that they have never done before,” he said. “This is the mentality you need to win in the Champions League.”