Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the preeminent headers in world football today. His NBA-style leap, which reaches a ground clearance of 78 cm (31 inches), helps him beat some of the very best defenders in the business and score goals for fun from aerial balls. He has scored headers in some of the most important matches of his life.
Also read: 10 best headers scored by Cristiano Ronaldo - Part 1
In Part 1, we surfed through some of Ronaldo’s best headed goals. In truth, there are too many memorable moments from any season of his career to pick from. Volume 2 brings to you another delightful collection of expertly taken goals:
#5 Against Hungary, UEFA Euro 2016 group stages
Portugal’s victorious Euro 2016 campaign is always remembered as the triumph of a team which did not rely on individual performances, but it took one hell of a performance from its greatest player for them to even make the knockout stages.
Ronaldo had not been his most clinical self in the first two group games, causing detractors to rear their ugly heads with venomous words for him in the press. As always, he set about making them look like dunces in a manner that only he can do.
Hungary were able to score three fortuitous goals against Portugal, but Ronaldo played like a man possessed in that game. First, he played Nani in on goal with a world-class through ball. Next, he turned a cross from the right wing into the goal with a sweet backheel.
After Hungary had scored their third, he powered in an unstoppable header into goal off an assist from Ricardo Quaresma. It was a bullet header – a dream of a goal for any striker to score.
#4 Against Millwall, English FA Cup 2003-04 Final
Ronaldo’s first major tournament final appearance came in 2004, as Sir Alex placed the requisite faith in him to start the game despite his young age and lack of experience. It would prove to be a worthy gamble for the Scotsman – Ronaldo made sure of that.
Even before scoring the goal, Ronaldo put his stamp on the game with a cute Rabona cross that showed his extremely high confidence levels. Paul Scholes, who was supposed to be the experienced head in the situation, was as dumbfounded as everyone else on the ground and missed a sitter from 6 yards out.
Ronaldo, though, was not to be outdone, and he got on the scoresheet with a header that came off an unmarked run into the box. United went into the halftime break with the 1-0 lead he earned and finished the game 3-0 courtesy a Ruud van Nistelrooy brace.
#3 Against Wolfsburg, UEFA Champions League 2015-16 Quarterfinals
Before the first leg between the two sides was played at the Volkswagen Arena, Real Madrid were heavily favoured to ease their way into the Champions League semifinals – apparently, Wolfsburg were the weakest team left in the competition at the time.
The German side, however, took Real by surprise to earn a well-deserved 2-0 victory at home, defending stoutly and capitalising on their chances to heap the pressure onto Madrid.
Real needed to score early in the return leg, and Ronaldo turned up for the occasion in a manner that today only he can, in all of the world football. First, he reacted quickest to a deflected cross that beat the Wolfsburg defence all ends up in the 15th minute and scored the opener.
Within 2 minutes of that, he headed in a vintage goal that beat both Diego Benaglio and the player stationed at the far post to level the tie for Real. His diagonal run and the subsequent contact with the ball is of a quality that no one else in world football can currently match.
#2 Against AS Roma, UEFA Champions League 2007-08 Round of 16
AS Roma have never had a good record in the Champions League. For three successive seasons, Francesco Totti and co faced elimination at the hands of Sir Alex’s United sides, and Cristiano Ronaldo had a starring role in all of those ties.
In the 2007-08 edition of the Champions League, United’s road to the Champions League final led through Rome. Ronaldo was roundly booed by the crowd for every touch in the game, and for the first few minutes of the game, he looked distinctly off-colour.
Rooney played a pass into Paul Scholes’ path, who played a lofted ball into what seemed like heavy traffic. But Ronaldo made full use of the ball’s flight to bury a hefty header into Doni’s net, and United duly went on to win the tough away fixture 2-0.
#1 Against Manchester United, UEFA Champions League 2012-13 Round of 16
Old Trafford’s prodigal son faced off against his former team for the first time in his 4th season at Real Madrid.
Sir Alex Ferguson billed the contest as a ‘clash of titans’ and remarked with a palpable sense of foreboding:
‘Ronaldo is the one to worry about. His speed, his goals, he plays every week, never asks for a rest. These qualities are exceptional. He was a young man when he left us, but he has flourished and is a better player now.’
After Real had fallen behind United from a Danny Welbeck goal, they pressed hard for an equalising goal and the Spaniard looked unbeatable for a significant period of time.
On the half hour mark, Angel di Maria swung in a teasing high ball across the penalty area. For any other player in world football, it would have been a bad cross to deal with, but Ronaldo is not your typical player.
His header was perfectly placed to beat David de Gea at his far post, and the enduring image from this match is that of Evra watching helplessly at Ronaldo’s waist, which was level with his own head.
