There's that thing about the truly greatest – when the going gets tough, that's when they decide to get going. Real Madrid welcomed German club Wolfsburg to the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, down 0-2 in aggregate. By the end of the game, they had booked a spot in the semi-finals after winning 3-2 on aggregate, all thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's spectacular hat-trick.

It was a performance that was as heroic as it was stunning. Despite his stellar achievements, Ronaldo is never far from criticism, but this should silence the naysayers. He was in the perfect position for a cross in the 16th minute and calmly guided it in. Then, just 85 seconds later, he timed his header beautifully, putting the Galacticos on level terms.

The third goal took some time coming but when it did, it was nothing short of poetry. With just 13 minutes left on the clock, Ronaldo stepped up, all poise, and beautifully curled a free-kick in to ensure that he wrote the perfect script. What a player. What a game.

Over in Manchester there was joy as well as Manchester City entered the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in its history. The club came into the match against French champions Paris Saint Germain locked 2-2 on aggregate. A tense, scrappy game followed but a moment of brilliance from Kevin de Bruyne, who curled in a long-ranger in the 76th minute, settled the game and made history for the Citizens.