6 Truths: Cristiano Ronaldo is relentless, Isco valuable for Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid not done

What can't Cristiano Ronaldo do? The Real Madrid forward hit a sensational hat-trick as beat neighbours Atletico 3-0 to take a major step towards the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff, and there was just no stopping him. Ronaldo headed home a landmark 50th goal in the knock-out stage of the competition in the 10th minute to open the scoring, before adding two in the second period as Zinedine Zidane's men took advantage of Atletico's uncharacteristically fragile backline.

What made Ronaldo's performance all the more special was that it again underlined the fact that, when the big moment demands he steps up, he inevitably does. Real's talisman has now equalled Lionel Messi's record haul of seven Champions League hat-tricks and looks intent on helping his team to become the first to retain the trophy in the current format. He really is relentless and unceasingly impressive.

It’s a tall order for Atletico, but why not? 3-0 isn’t out of the question at the Vicente Calderon, although shutting out Real is no mean feat. Real have scored in every competitive game since a 0-0 draw with Manchester City in April 2016. That’s over a year (quick maths).

For Atletico, they must channel their frightening performance of February 2015, which saw them beat Real 4-0 at home in La Liga. It’s a stretch, of course, to call upon a two-year-old performance as inspiration, but two quick-fire goals in the first half shaped that match – and that will be the order of the day for Diego Simeone's side when they meet next week. Do we think Atletico can claw it back? No. But here’s hoping they come close.

Once again on the biggest stage of them all Marcelo gave a reminder of just how good he is. Long gone are the days when Marcelo was something of a joke figure, seen as a liability, now he is one of the most important players for Real Madrid. In a similar role to Dani Alves when he was at Barcelona Marcelo almost looks after the left flank by himself. Cristiano Ronaldo rightly drifts inside, a move that makes sure the best poacher in the world is as close to goal as possible. That leaves Marcelo tending to the flank, something he does with incredible effect.

It's not that he gets up and down so much. It's not that his defensive game has come on leaps and bounds. It's not even his incredible technique. It's that he is the complete package, he can do everything. Marcelo's game doesn't really have any weaknesses and he continues to perform for one of the biggest clubs in the world with all eyes on him. David Alaba, Alex Sandro and Danny Rose are all fine players in their own right but right now they can't touch Marcelo.

The last time Real Madrid lost a game in which Isco started was 27th February 2016, during which time Real have won 25 and drawn four. This stat perfectly encapsulates Isco's Real Madrid career. When he plays, more often than not Real Madrid win, the problem is he doesn't play often enough. He's behind Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo in the forward positions whilst Zinedine Zidane's preference for a holding midfielder in Casemiro means there's no place next to Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

This is an incredible shame because Isco has magic in his boots. He's one of the players who can make you purr, the way he glides across the pitch and carresses the football with genuine ease. Whether with Real or somewhere else, Isco has to be starting reglar next season.

Fans at the Bernabeu do not often get credit when there is a discussion about the best in Europe, but on Tuesday evening they created a sensational atmosphere for the Madrid derby. Keen to remind rivals Atletico of their Champions League triumphs, an incredible pre-match display showed off the number 11 to signal the amount of times Real have won Europe's premier competition.

It was a vociferous welcome which greeted the players as the home fans really took to the occasion, roaring on their players. Another tifo took aim at Atletico – with the mention of Lisbon and Milan highlighting the two locations where Real beat their city rivals in the 2014 and 2016 finals respectively. The performance of the Real Madrid players certainly did justice to that of the club's fans.

Simeone's side have been one of the major players at the top table of the Champions League in recent seasons, but time and time again they have come up short at the hands of their fierce rivals.

It looks inevitable that this will be the fourth straight season they have come unstuck against Real and it's starting to seem like that long search for Europe's major crown may remain out of reach for this manager and his well-drilled group of players.