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3. Has there ever been a better “big-game” player than Cristiano Ronaldo?
My Good Lord, this man.
370 club goals. The Most Ever.
104 Champions League goals. The Most Ever (fun fact, Atletico Madrid have only scored 100 CL goals in their ENTIRE history)
52 Champions League knockout goals. The Most Ever.
13 Champions League semi-final goals. The Most Ever.
21 Madrid Derby goals. The Most Ever.
Even those numbers, though, do the man no justice. He looked untouchable today – the goal was taken with trademark poaching panache, while his movement was exceptional... stretching the Atletico back four to all corners of the pitch. He floated across the front third – at times hugging the right flank, at times the left, while at times he acted as Karim Benzema’s strike partner. He dribbled with pace (a pace that so many of us feared had long ago deserted him) and precision, his flicks and tricks won him space that rarely exists when playing Simeone’s Atletico and his finishing, as ever was sublime. A precision header, an incredible half-volley and a pass into the side of the box. As they would say in the colloquial, WOOF! The best thing, though, his work rate (defensively and in terms of selfless off the ball movement) never dipped.
The man’s 32 years old and he seems to be getting better and better. Forget the flashes of bad form and horrendous football that have littered this season for the Portuguese superstar... when there is a big game on, there is no one on the planet who turns it on quite like Cristiano Ronaldo. He is the very definition of a “big game player”
