Cristiano Ronaldo's frosted tips are somewhat of a juxtaposition, in that he now aesthetically resembles himself from his early Manchester United days while being an almost entirely different player than the one who exploded onto the world stage over a decade ago.
The narrative surrounding Ronaldo this season has been intriguing if entirely unsurprising; at 32, 'he's no longer the player he once was', and yet for all the recent hypotheses about his inability to move as rapidly as he used to, the Portuguese forward has - in recent weeks, at least - proved that his transition from flying attacker to highly-productive tap-in merchant will be extremely swift.
Ronaldo's rage against the decline perhaps began in earnest with a five-goal haul versus Bayern in the Champions League quarter-finals, but he returned to piss-taking form in tonight's Madrid derby, netting a hat-trick to thunderous acclaim at the Bernabeu, all but firing his side into their third Champions League final in four years.
Cristiano Ronaldo goals v Atletico
Three weeks ago, Ronaldo had 95 Champions League goals. He now has 103 - three more than Atlético Madrid, and eight in his last three games.
Not bad for a man who has lost his pace.
