Who is better, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Champions League will decide

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick against his favourite opponents Atletico Madrid as the Italians overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit to win 3-0 and reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

It was his eighth hat-trick in the Champions League, pulling him level with Barcelona's Lionel Messi, and took the Portugal international's tally in his favourite club competition, where he is the all-time leading scorer, to 124.

Lionel Messi created a goal and scored another as Barcelona came from behind to beat struggling Rayo Vallecano 3-1 at home on Saturday and stay seven points clear at the top of La Liga.

Rayo, who have now lost their last 12 games against Barca, took a shock lead midway through the first half when forward Raul de Thomas -- who is on loan from Real Madrid -- ran past two defenders before arrowing a shot into the bottom corner.

The former Real Madrid player, aiming to win the Champions League for the sixth time with his third different club, having also lifted the trophy with Manchester United, took his tally against Atletico to 25 goals in 33 matches in all competitions.

"This was why Juventus brought me here, to help do things that they have never done before," said Ronaldo, now 34. "This is the mentality you need to win in the Champions League."

Lionel Messi lead the way with two goals and two assists as Barcelona reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in style by thrashing Olympique Lyonnais 5-1 at home on Wednesday and advancing by the same scoreline on aggregate.

Barca captain Messi opened the scoring with a "Panenka" penalty chipped straight down the middle in the 17th minute after Luis Suarez was fouled in the area, putting the home side ahead in the tie after a goalless first leg in France.

Before Tuesday's game, Ronaldo had scored just once in the Champions League this season, and a defeat would have been a failure not only for the team but a personal one.

Clearly, the five-time Champions League winner -- four times with Real Madrid and once with Manchester United -- had not come to Turin to be eliminated in the last 16.
 

Cristiano Ronaldo was lauded in the Spanish press after his stunning hat-trick in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid sent Juventus into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Ronaldo's record-equalling eighth treble in Europe's elite competition hauled Juventus back from a 2-0 defeat in the first leg in Madrid and sent the Serie A leaders through 3-2 on aggregate.
 

Messi now has 108 goals in the Champions League, behind Ronaldo's imperious 124, but his latest double takes his team one step closer to the trophy they crave the most.

'With Cristiano in the mood for a demolition and on one of those nights which make him the most ravenous and lethal striker in history, Juventus walked all over Atletico,' said El Pais.

'Simeone's team fell the Italian way. They only wanted to defend, and they received a momentous beating.'

Atletico, who have lost three European Cup finals, had targeted reaching this year's showpiece in their Wanda Metropolitano stadium.