Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane was purring with satisfaction at a job well done in the aftermath of his side’s impressive 3-0 win in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinals against arch-rivals Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.

Cristiano Ronaldo powered home his second consecutive hat-trick in the continental competition to give the holders an almost insurmountable lead, but Zidane felt that Los Blancos put in a complete performance and it’s not just about the club’s iconic No. 7.

"I'm not sure whether we've put in a better performance since I took over. We produced a great display and it was far from easy to go out and score three goals tonight. Our opening half an hour was fantastic and we had a lot of chances to get a  second, but we didn't manage to do so until after the break," Zidane said, speaking to reporters at the post-match press conference.

"We're very happy with our performance, the three goals and, above all, to have kept a clean sheet here at home. This was a great performance and perhaps our best yet,” he added.

Meanwhile, Atletico manager Diego Simeone raised a few eyebrows when he said that the Rojiblancos still have a chance and Zidane agrees with his opposite number’s comments, but also feels the result was a fair indicator of his side’s dominance. 

”Simeone is right, there's still a second leg to come. We managed the game very well tonight, we prepared well for it and were aware of our strengths and theirs. You could certainly say that we were the better side today. The 3-0 scoreline reflects what a good performance it was," Zidane said.

"However, there's still the second leg and we'll have to work hard and battle and we're sure to have to dig in there. There's no such thing as an easy game in football. We know that we're going to have to perform just as well and put in a perfect performance if we're to progress,” he said.

And to him, every player is important.

“We try and get it across to the squad that there are 24 fantastic players here. Since I took charge, every player is important for me. Nothing changes when one comes off and another takes his place, I’m lucky enough to have such players,” Zidane added.

(All quotes are from www.realmadrid.com)