Real Madrid were pushed to the very end by a very impressive Sporting Lisbon side in the Champions League. In fact, the defending champions were trailing right till the 89th minute, before Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata scored two last-gasp goals to give Zidane’s men a lucky victory.
Alvaro Morata who was re-signed by Real Madrid for 30 million Euros is already proving to be a shrewd acquisition with his header not only earning Real Madrid 3 points, but also a staggering 1 million Euros more.
In the Champions League group stage, a draw gets the teams 500,000 Euros while a win earns the side 1,500,000 Euros making Morata’s headed goal worth 1 million Euros.
Real Madrid were poor right throughout the match, but a stunning Ronaldo free-kick along with this late header from Morata helped Real salvage a win from a less than impressive performance.
Win over Sporting Lisbon a warning for Real says Cristiano Ronaldo
Speaking to the media after the game, Cristiano Ronaldo was heard saying, “This is what Real Madrid is all about and comebacks like these form part of the mystique of this stadium -- but this needs to be a warning for the future”.
Also read: Sporting Lisbon's director of communication claims Real Madrid were helped by the referee
Ronaldo who scored, courtesy a delightful free-kick said:
"We can't be as soft as we were because teams will walk all over us. For me, Sporting's performance was not a surprise." added the Real Madrid star.
Ronaldo who scored in the game, also admitted that he did not celebrate against Sporting out of respect for his old club:
"I couldn't celebrate it. This is the team that made me who I am and I have too much respect for them. They'll always be in my heart," he added.
Real Madrid now face Espanyol in the La Liga on Sunday and they will be looking to continue their good form and maintain their spot on top of the table. Stars like Ronaldo, Modric and even Zidane himself have made winning La Liga the priority this year.
Barcelona surprisingly lost at home against newly promoted Deportivo Alaves at the Camp Nou and with Atletico Madrid also having a slow start to the season, Real Madrid are considered by many to be the favourites to claim their first La Liga title since the 2011/12 season.
