Juventus stalwart Gianluigi Buffon believes Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo should be mentioned in the same breath as Diego Maradona, Pele and Lionel Messi following his spectacular display in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
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Having opened the scoring with a close-range finish in the 3rd minute of the quarter-final tie, the Portugal international stunned the football world with a phenomenal overhead kick in the 64th minute, which even earned him a standing ovation from the home supporters at Juventus' Allianz Stadium.
"Ronaldo is a player who is at an incredible level," Buffon said after the match, as quoted by Marca.
"Ronaldo's worth is comparable to (Diego) Maradona, (Lionel) Messi or Pele. My Champions League dream isn't possible because the best have stopped it."
The Italian goalkeeper also praised the Spanish giants for the way they approached the tie in Turin.
"We played against champions of an incredible level," he added.
"Their ability makes everything much more difficult and it forced us to become less precise than usual.
"It is hugely disappointing and, in the end, we probably won't progress. But it is also true that in certain situations, you must take stock and compliment an opponent that was stronger."
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The second leg of the tie will be played next Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
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