Cristiano Ronaldo came back at his critics after his 37th Real Madrid hat-trick helped them achieve the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Real Madrid upset a 2-0 first-leg shortage to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 on Tuesday.
In February, the Portuguese forward left a Champions League news meeting subsequent to being addressed about his record in away matches this season.
“Considering this has been a ‘bad’ season for me, it has not been that bad,” Ronaldo, 31-year-old, said after the game.
He scored twice in three minutes right off the bat to offset Wolfsburg’s leeway, clearing home at the back post from six yards before looking a header into the far corner.
He finished his hat-trick and fixed Real Madrid’s place in the last four with a 25-yard free-kick 13 minutes from time at the Bernabeu Stadium.
Ronaldo, who was booed by his own supporters amid the 2-0 second-leg triumph over Roma in the last 16, took his count to 46 goals in all rivalries this season, incorporating 16 in the Champions League.
“It was not the best, but one of my best, European nights,” said Ronaldo.
“It was a magic night for me. I’m very happy after having scored three goals and raised my numbers, but the most important thing was the team. The team was intense and played very well. It is a beautiful night.
“People can criticise me but I just keep on going and the numbers are there for all to see. I am very happy and with a month left of the season, I can get even better.
“It’s not bad, is it? Goals are in my DNA and I want to keep scoring them for the team.”
Real Madrid’s coach Zinedine Zidane said: “What can I tell you about Cristiano? He is demonstrating how good he is. He makes the difference.
“He is the best player in the world and nights like tonight make him a special player. Cristiano needs the whole team too but not everyone can score three goals in a game.”
Manchester City achieved the semi-finals by beating Paris St-Germain while Atletico Madrid face Barcelona and Benfica meet Bayern Munich on Wednesday for the last two spots.
