Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid displays have come as something of a surprise to former boss Alex Ferguson who described his form as 'phenomenal' on the eve of Manchester United's Champions League tie at Real Madrid.
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Portugal stricker Ronaldo, sold by United for a world record fee of €94 million in 2009, faces his old club for the first time in Wednesday's last-16 first leg tie.
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'' Ronaldo is a better player than when he left us because of his maturity '', Ferguson told a news conference at Real's Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday. '' He's at the peak of his career now and the next three years will be the same ''.
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'' I never thought he'd ever get the amount of goals he's scored. To score the goals he has scored is phenomenal ''.
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Ronaldo, 28, has been in scintillating form since the turn of the year and warmed up for the United game with a hat-trick in a 4-1 destruction of Sevilla on Saturday, the 17th treble of his La Liga career.