REAL MADRID | CRISTIANO RONALDO
Cristiano has Di Stefano's European record in his sights
His winning goal at Old Trafford was his 47th goal in the European Cup, taking him one goal ahead of his compatriot Eusebio and two behind the Argentine Di Stefano.
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When the English television channels asked Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday night at Old Trafford if he would like to rejoin Manchester United one day, his answer was elegant but unambiguous.
He said: "It's respect for the affection that people gave me here over many years. Those are feelings that you don't forget. I didn't celebrate but I was happy inside and what I wanted most was to win and step by step continue on our way to the final of the Champions League."
It is this inherent ambition, encouraged by his now deceased father since he was a child, when the young Cristiano would run after a cloth ball on the streets of Funchal, Madeira, that is helping him pulverise every existing record while wearing a Real Madrid shirt.
His winning goal at Old Trafford was his 47th goal in the European Cup, which took him one goal ahead of his compatriot Eusebio and, more importantly, to just two goals behind the great living legend of Madrid, and the man Cristiano hopes to unseat on the club's throne: Alfredo Di Stefano.
Cristiano can now equal 'The Blonde Arrow's record of 49 goals in Europe's elite competition in the quarter finals.
The maturity Cristiano has reached wearing the white of Madrid is truly striking. He has scored 31 goals in the Champions League in 35 games (an average of 0.86 goals per game), compared to 16 goals in 58 games while at Manchester United (an average of 0.27 goals per game), tripling his scoring average in Europe's top competition since signing for 'Los Blancos' in 2009.
In all competitions he has scored 40 goals all season, and if he continues at this rate will finish with 60. However, as the player himself has declared, he would swap all the goals if it meant reaching the final at Wembley on 25 May.
