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Cristiano Ronaldo is probably the best player in the world right now, and he is just one goal short of equalling former Real Madrid captain Raul’s record of 71 goals in the UEFA Champions League. With 2 Champions League trophies, one with Manchester United and the other with Real Madrid, the Portuguese ace does not look like he is going to be stopped by any team across Europe.Having made a blinding start to this season, he will be looking to again create all sorts of records with respect to goalscoring. Here are his 10 best goals in the UEFA Champions League:
#1 AS Roma, Quarter-final, 1st leg, 2007-08
In what was probably Manchester United’s best away performance in their Champions League winning season, they completely dominated the game and left the Italian capital with a solid 2-0 lead going into the second leg at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo scored the second goal, the one that put the game to bed, and what a goal it was. A compete team move that saw the ball move from defence to attack very swiftly. John O’Shea played a lovely pass to the feet of Wayne Rooney, who turned beautifully to put off the defender, and put the ball out to Paul Scholes, who moved into the box, and showed great vision to chip a lovely ball into the middle of the box.
Cristiano Ronaldo came flying in from way outside the box and met the ball with a brilliant header, which had just the right mix of power and placement on it. The ball flew into the back of the net, and United had the two goal cushion they wanted badly.
#2 Galatasaray, Group stage, 2013-14
This match between Real Madrid and Galatasaray in Turkey saw the Spaniards put down an early marker that they were well and truly ready to vie for the Champions League, and claim the coveted “Decima”.
In what was expected to be a tough group game away against Galatasaray, Real delivered a performance that raised eyebrows all over Europe, as they defeated the Turkish team 6-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in the same game, and his third goal was something out of the world. He received the ball just outside the box on the left side, did a couple of stepovers, before dribbling the ball in between two defenders, accelerated a little to get past the defence, and then finished it off with a sumptuous finish.
#3 Manchester United, Round of 16, 1st leg, 2012-13
Real Madrid took on Manchester United in the 1st leg of their round of 16 fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu, and it was the first competitive match that Ronaldo was playing against his former team United.
After Danny Welbeck had given United a shock lead 20 minutes into the first half, the Bernabeu looked to their hero Ronaldo to provide the much needed inspiration for the home team. And boy did he deliver.
He brought Real back into the game, as he sent a towering header beyond David De Gea in the United goal. The goal was itself a thing of beauty, as the cross from Di Maria was brilliant, while Ronaldo’s jump to get to the ball, the power he put into the header, and the accuracy with which he guided it into the back of the net were all worth admiring.
#4 Porto, Quarter-final, 2nd leg, 2008-09
After they struggled to a 2-2 draw at home against Porto in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, the defending champions needed to make a statement in the away leg, and Cristiano Ronaldo ensured that United would continue their quest to become the first team to defend the title in the Champions League era.
His goal against Porto definitely put the Manchester club back in control of the tie, as they had got the crucial away goal they needed, and could focus on keeping possession and defending well.
The goal was the perfect combination of power, placement, intelligence, and audacity. Ronaldo saw Porto’s goalkeeper Helton a little off his line, and so let fly when he received the ball about 35 yards out, with a screamer, that swerved and whistled past the entire opposition defence and nestled in the back of the net.
#5 Chelsea, Champions League final, 2007-08
Ronaldo’s goal in the Champions League final against Chelsea helped United take the lead in the first half. Although he would go on to miss a penalty in the shoot-out, his goal proved crucial as it made up for all the chances that United missed, and so kept them in the game.
He pulled off of his marker Michael Essien, following which he timed his leap to perfection and directed a powerful, downward header into the left corner of Petr Cech’s goal, who had no chance of saving it.
#6 Liverpool, Group stage, 2014-15
His goal against Liverpool at Anfield, in what was a dominating 0-3 win for Real was a thing of beauty. He opened the scoring for the defending champions with a lovely clipped finish from just inside the box, which gave the goalkeeper Simon Mignolet no chance.
Ronaldo played a quick one-two with Benzema, then looked for options and layed the ball off to James, and made a lovely run right through the middle of Liverpool defence. His run was spotted by Rodriguez, who chipped a precise return pass right on Ronaldo’s foot, who then hooked it past the keeper.
#7 Ajax, Group stage, 2011-12
This was probably the best team goal scored by Real Madrid in the competition that season, as they tore the Ajax defence apart with their precision and speed of passing. The goal came as the result of an interception in defence, which then saw the home side counter at great speed.
The ball was switched between Benzema, Ronaldo, Kaka and Ozil, with Ozil laying the ball off to Benzema, who put in a great cross, that was coolly converted by Ronaldo, who was involved in the build-up when he dodged a couple of Ajax defenders to give the ball to Kaka.
Watch the goal here and you can see the rapid exchange of passes:
#8 Arsenal, Champions League semi-final, 2008-09
This free-kick from Ronaldo is on this list only because of the audacity it took to attempt such a shot from way out in the Champions League semi-final. Although people might say that Arsenal conceded the goal just because of goalkeeper Manuel Almunia’s mistake, a 40 yard free-kick just doesn’t fly into your goal that easily.
The goal came from Ronaldo in the 11th minute of the match, as the Portuguese international sent a power packed free-kick flying towards goal once he spotted Almunia too far to his right in goal. The amount of swerve that was on the ball saw it ultimately go into goal beyond Almunia’s reach.
#9 Ajax, Group stage, 2012-13
This match saw Real Madrid comprehensively defeat Ajax 4-1 at the Amsterdam Arena. The goal came from a lovely pass out from Sami Khedira to Ronaldo, who was the furthest forward player for Real.
His lovely run in between the Ajax defence was spotted by Khedira, who put a peach of a pass right onto his left foot, which was then controlled brilliant by Ronaldo, and then nonchalantly lifted over the onrushing goalkeeper, with just the right amount of power on it to beat the backtracking defenders.
#10 Schalke, Round of 16, 1st leg, 2013-14
In a match that saw Real Madrid thrash Schalke 6-1 in the first leg played at the Veltins Arena, Ronaldo embarrassed Joel Matip to no end as he scored a brilliant goal after fooling the defender.
Latching onto a pass from Bale, Ronaldo performed multiple step-overs which put off Matip completely, and then took a slight touch to the left, and applied a clinical finish into the bottom right hand corner of the net, leaving the goalkeeper and defenders only the job of picking the ball out of the goal.
