In the Champions League quarterfinals, Real Madrid were in a dire situation, having lost the first leg at Wolfsburg. A Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick later, they were in the semifinals.
It's not quite so dire this time for Madrid, having drawn the semi-final first leg 0-0 in Manchester, but they basically need to win to advance.
Manchester City won't be a walkover in the second leg like Wolfsburg were. Sergio Aguero is a handfull, Kevin de Bruyne is the only person we can think of who is terrifying and also looks exactly like Prince Harry and Yaya Toure is the world's most glacial match winner.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, will look to the man who said this to UEFA's website earlier this week:
"I don't doubt that I will go down in footballing history. Whether people like it or not, the numbers speak for themselves.
"I will be up there with the rest. Some like it more, some like it less, but I have no doubt that I'm already in the history of football.
"I always felt that I was a special player, ever since I was starting out at Sporting. I felt that sooner or later I would be a top-level professional. I never thought it would come so fast, but I was preparing myself because, like I said, the talent was there.
"I've always worked hard, believed in my potential - in the academy at Sporting, at Manchester United and at Real Madrid as well - and I've developed more and more as a player, as a person, as a human being. I've enjoyed my work."
One thing Cristiano Ronaldo will never be said to be lacking is confidence, and it's that confidence that gives Madrid the best chance to advance past Manchester City. They didn't have him in the first match, which was about as bad a Champions League semi-final you'll see, and the result was a boring lack of offense.
If Ronaldo really is to be counted among the all-time greats when he retires (and we think he will be), now would be a great time to remind us why that is.
(H/T FOX Soccer)
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
