USADaily - What a comeback from Real Madrid, and what a performance by Ronaldo. Zidane’s team were in a jam after that sorry away performance, but they were much the better team today, and deserved to go through: they had more possession, created more chances, and basically looked much the classier side. Wolfsburg defended poorly in the opening 20 minutes and looked nervous, and their second-half display was deeply mediocre. Julian Draxler’s injury was unfortunate, but they were second best
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Madrid’s season is far from salvaged. In January, Madrid gambled on ousting the experienced coach Rafael Benítez and appointing Zinedine Zidane, an iconic former player but an untested coach. And Madrid is third in the Spanish league, 4 points behind Barcelona and 1 behind Atlético Madrid.
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| Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his, and Real Madrid’s third goal. Photograph: Denis Doyle/UEFA via Getty Images |
But this month, Zidane has passed two of the most serious tests for any Real Madrid coach, winning a Clásico at Barcelona, the team’s archrival, and then managing Tuesday’s Champions League comeback. Madrid had last overturned a 2-0 deficit in a European tie 31 years ago, against Inter Milan.
After Madrid had ousted Wolfsburg, Zidane described the game as “my best night as coach.” Inevitably, he had special words of praise for Ronaldo.
“Cristiano is showing what he is, the best player in the world,” Zidane said.
Ronaldo “needs others to score,” Zidane added, but “it’s clear that not everybody can score three goals.”
Ronaldo, whose hat trick gave him 16 goals in Champions League play this season, told reporters, “I said it would be a magic night, and that is what happened.”
Madrid, of course, should probably not have needed that magic against Wolfsburg, which had never made the quarterfinals before.
Last summer, Wolfsburg sold the rights to its star player, Kevin De Bruyne, to Manchester City, and without him, the team has struggled this season in the Bundesliga. After its stunning first-leg win over Madrid, Wolfsburg managed only a draw at home against Mainz last week, leaving the club in eighth and unlikely to qualify for any European competition next season.
All of Madrid’s advantages, though — in its talent and in its finances — did not temper the joy around its packed Santiago Bernabéu stadium at the end of Tuesday’s game.
Fifteen minutes later, Madrid’s captain, Sergio Ramos, led a handful of players back onto the field to celebrate once more with the remaining fans. Outside the gates, other fans welcomed what they felt was a coming-of-age for their recently appointed coach, using Zidane’s nickname as they chanted, “Zizou coach!”
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