Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday broke the record for the most goals ever scored in a Champions League season or in the tournament’s predecessor, the European Cup, by hitting the net twice in his side’s 4-0 semi-final second-leg victory over Bayern Munich.
Ronaldo picked up his 15th and 16th goals of the campaign to help put the Spanish giants into the Champions League final in Lisbon on May 24 as Carlo Ancelotti’s side humiliated the defending champions from Germany.
The Portuguese forward’s two goals saw him eclipse the previous highest tally of 14 in a season first set by Jose Altafini of AC Milan in the 1962-1963 campaign and equaled by Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in the 2011-2012 tournament.
The FIFA World Player of the Year set the new record in just 10 appearances in the competition this season, with his tally including a hat-trick against Galatasaray in the group stage, as well as braces against Copenhagen, Juventus and in both legs of Real’s last-16 tie against Schalke 04.
Ronaldo has now scored 66 Champions League goals and is closing in on legendary Real striker Raul’s club record for most goals in the competition, 71.
The Portuguese’s goals helped take Los Blancos through to their first Champions League final since they last lifted the trophy in 2002, when France’s Zinedine Zidane inspired his then-club to a 2-1 win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen in Glasgow, Scotland.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday advanced to the women’s doubles final at the Australian Open after defeating New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in their semi-final. Hsieh has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has a shot at a 10th tomorrow, when the Latvian-Taiwanese duo are to play Taylor Townsend of the US and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the championship match at the A$96.5 million (US$61 million) outdoor hard court tournament at Melbourne Park. Townsend and Siniakova eliminated Russian pair Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva 6-7
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
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