Ronaldo was so good he embarrassed Spartak Moscow on wretched pitch without blade of grass

No one could stop him, not during the season of 1997/98 where he scored 34 times in all competitions as Inter claimed glory in Europe.

While they came up short in Serie A, missing out by five points to Juventus, the Nerazzurri went all the way in the UEFA Cup, today's Europa League.

They beat Lazio 3-0 in the final, with Ronaldo scoring at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

But the Brazilian was at his ferocious best in the semi-final when Inter took on Spartak Moscow over two legs, winning 4-2 on aggregate.

Having won the first leg 2-1 at the San Siro, Inter made the trip to Russia in extreme weather conditions.

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When they arrived at the Dynamo Stadium, the players would have been gobsmacked at the state of the pitch.

Not a single blade of grass, just mud and sawdust, after a particularly freezing bout of weather had passed through Moscow and wrecked the pitch.

But while others might be quite uneasy at the fact of stepping onto such turf, Ronaldo only licked his lips and put on a masterclass.

At this point in his career, still aged just 22, the forward had already established himself as one of the best players in the world.

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In two years at PSV, he scored 54 times in 57 appearances before one season at Barcelona where he netted 47 in 49 games.

A bit of mud was not going to stop this man from getting on the scoresheet, it was simply not wired into his system to miss.

A compilation of the striker putting on a show in the snow has been published on social media.

It is quite the reminder truly how good Ronaldo was, who scored twice on that day in a 2-1 victory for Inter Milan.

El Fenomeno's first goal came just before half-time after Spartak Moscow took the lead, which would have sent them through to the final.

But it was his second that truly broadcast the Brazil legend's brilliance.

Despite playing on what looked more like a battlefield in World War 2, Ronaldo controlled the ball with remarkable poise, spinning away from a defender.

He then played a one-two with Ivan Zamorano, slipped through two more defenders, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home to put the tie to bed.

It would go on to become one of many highlighted goals in Ronaldo's career, meaning all that much as it sent Inter through to the final.

Inter would win the final against Lazio, adding to Ronaldo's trophy cabinet which already contained a World Cup from 1994.

He would go on to win another World Cup with Brazil in 2002, as well as two Copa Americas, but the Champions League would elude him.

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In Russia, the cold is known as 'General Frost' due to the fact that the country's climate often beats would-be conquerors before they can even fire a gun.

But when Ronaldo came to town, it is suffice to say that the Samba star left Moscow sizzling.