Real Madrid defender Marcelo has admitted that his team 'were made to suffer' before booking their spot in the semi-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday night.

A hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo saw Los Blancos beat Wolfsburg 3-0 in the second leg of their quarter-final, which ultimately handed the Spanish giants a 3-2 aggregate success.

Marcelo has claimed that "no team gets to the semi-finals without suffering" and also paid tribute to the performance of Ronaldo, who took his tally to 16 European goals for the season.

"It was a fantastic night. The fans were phenomenal and without them we wouldn't have been able to turn the game around. It was a very difficult night. In the games in the Champions League you have to suffer," Marcelo told reporters.

"No team gets to the semi-finals without suffering. We played well and gave another side of ourselves. Cristiano is a great player. I'm sure he's happy with his goals but happier with the fact his team has qualified."

Real Madrid have made the semi-finals of the Champions League for the sixth successive season.