Cristiano Ronaldo: "The Champions League is different"

Cristiano Ronaldo is desperate. Desperate to play on Wednesday against Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final second leg (perfectly poised after a scoreless draw at the Etihad). The Portuguese star is suffering from a hamstring injury and missed the first leg, as well as this Saturday's narrow win away to Real Sociedad to keep Madrid's slender title hopes alive.

The good news? The player has noticed some improvements in his recovery from the injury and is hoping to be declared fit for Wednesday's crunch game at the Bernabéu. Ronaldo isn't afraid to shy away from forcing himself it the situation demands it, as he himself admitted (overheard by the media at the Etihad before the City game): "If this had been the final I would have played".

What's not yet clear is the precise extent of the injury Ronaldo suffered, with Real Madrid limiting themselves to saying the player had "a muscle strain in his right thigh" after he suffered the injury against Villarreal. The player has subsequently been uploading photos to his Instagram account of his progress while working out at home. And the good news from Madrid training on Sunday was that Ronaldo was back out on the pitch.

It looked as if Ronaldo would play against City in the first leg, but he felt a twinge and failed a last minute fitness test before the game. But now all he wants to do is be out on the pitch at the Bernabéu, as he admitted to UEFA.com in an interview.

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"We know that we are facing a tough challenge, but anything's possible. If Manchester City are in the semis, it's because they are an excellent team. Knocking out PSG isn't easy to do, but they did it. They're a side with very few defects", said Cristiano.

The striker also recalled his last European game at the Santiago Bernabéu, when he hit a hat trick against Wolfsburg. "That was perhaps one of the most important games, a special night, we had to win by a three-goal margin and I scored all three. It needed to be a perfect night and it was - but not because of my goals - for everything; the team played really well and our fans played a really important role in us turning the tie around. It was a magical moment", he explained.

Ronaldo is also full of praise for Zinedine Zidane, saying: "I admired him as a player and now I do as a coach too."

"I think that with Zidane, we all feel more appreciated, we feel the affection he has for us and that means we feel valued. We know that he is still in the adaptation process, but things seem to be flowing quickly and I'm very happy for him. I admired him as a player and now I do as a coach too for his way of being, and the way he handles the players. I would like him to continue as coach at Real Madrid", Cristiano said.

Winning La Décima in Lisbon is an experience he is keen to repeat.  "Winning it with Real Madrid was a very nice feeling, incredible, because the Champions  is always a special competition and winning it in Lisbon, in front of Portuguese people made it extra special. For me, every Champions League game feels like my first one - and obviously, Real Madrid's priority is to win it".

The clock is ticking and Cristiano is desperately hoping his hamstring is ready...