In a repeat of the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League final, Real Madrid will meet their city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday at the iconic San Siro stadium. With Real Madrid’s last chance of picking up silverware this season, Los Blancos mainstay Cristiano Ronaldo will prove to be the ace for the club, feels Real’s captain Sergio Ramos.
Ronaldo has been the top scorer for Real yet another season, scoring 51 goals in 47 appearances. Out of the total, 16 goals have come in a total of 11 games in the Champions League, only one shy of his own record of 17 goals in a single Champions League campaign. This has also been the eighth consecutive season where the 3-time Ballon D’Or winner has scored 50 goals or more.
Highlighting the importance of the Portuguese superstar for the club, Ramos told UEFA.com “It's difficult to imagine a Real Madrid without Cristiano. We're very happy to have him here because he guarantees at least 50 goals every season.”
"It's very difficult to stay at this level for so many years but he's managed it. As a club, we've got this guarantee for as long as he's here, and that's a real luxury."
Ronaldo has played in three Champions League finals, and won it twice, leading former club Manchester United to the title in the 2007-08 season and winning the historic La Decima with Madrid.
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"I think he has a special relationship with the Champions League,” Ramos continued. “Nobody can argue with the fact he's a special player who drives the team forward and he's been doing it for a long time."
The path en route to the final was sure a rocky one for the men in white, having gone down to 2-0 to Wolfsburg in the first leg of their quarter-final, but an all-important hat-trick from the Talismanic Portuguese forward steered the club through to the semifinals.
Adding about such tough fixtures ad results they had to go through, Ramos said "I think we deserve to be in the final in Milan. Being honest, it's not been an easy road. We made it through the group stage against great teams like PSG. We had a bad game against Wolfsburg, but we turned it around brilliantly at home. Then we knocked out a top side in Manchester City in the semi-finals."
"We're pleased that our hard work has reaped rewards despite the ups and downs we've had. We'll play in the final in Milan against a great rival and that's very satisfying."
Real will be bidding for a record 11th title but the Rojiblancos will be looking forward to take revenge for their heart-crushing defeat in the 2013-14 final, with Diego Simeone’s men looking stronger than ever. This Madrid derby surely promises to be one of the best encounters between the two clubs.
