Cristiano Ronaldo has turned his sights on winning the Uefa Champions League in his native Portugal after setting a record for goals scored in one season of Europe’s elite club competition.
Ronaldo's brace in Tuesday's 4-0 drubbing of holders Bayern Munich, which sent Real through to next month's final in Lisbon 5-0 on aggregate, took his Champions League tally for the season to 16 in 12 matches.
The 29 year old had equalled Barcelona forward Lionel Messi’s record of 14 scored in the 2011-12 competition with a goal in the quarter-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund and has 66 overall in 102 appearances.
In pictures: Real Madrid stomp Bayern Munich in Uefa Champions League semi-finals
Former Real striker Raul is the leading marksman with 71 goals, with Messi second on 67.
“I was looking for it (the record) and I knew I needed one goal but I was not going to be mad if it didn’t happen,” Ronaldo said.
“I’m really happy to break the Champions League record but what I want is to win it and we’re very excited.
“A final is always complicated. It will be in my country and I want to win the Champions League.”
Ronaldo, who top scored in last season’s Champions League with 12 goals, netted a hat-trick at Group B rivals Galatasaray in Real’s opening game this season and followed up with doubles against Copenhagen and Juventus.
He went on to score twice in each leg of the round-of-16 tie against Schalke before helping dispatch Dortmund and Bayern.
“We showed a very good attitude and we deserved to reach the final,” he said.
“I’d like to thank all the players for their effort and now is the time to enjoy the moment and play the final to win.
“We have been losing in the semis for a long time, three or four years, but the most important thing is that now we are in a deserved final and we have our feet on the ground.”
Ronaldo has only won the Champions League once before, with Manchester United in 2008 when they beat Chelsea on penalties after drawing 1-1.
His teammate Gareth Bale said Madrid reaching the final had proved that his decision to leave Tottenham Hotspur in the summer to join them had been vindicated.
“This is why I wanted to come to the biggest club in the world: to win trophies, to be in massive games,” he told Sky Sports.
“We still haven’t won it yet, we’ve still got a difficult game in the final whoever it may be and we’re looking forward to it.”
Of Ronaldo’s record-breaking night, Bale said: “That’s why he’s the world’s best player. It’s an honour to play with him, to learn off him.
“But we’ve got one match to go and hopefully he can score a few more goals.”
Carlo Ancelotti, the Madrid manager, said: “I think the key of this game was the job that all the players made together. When we have this kind of thought from everyone, when you have quality, I think that this is the key to the game.”
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