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#3 100 and counting: Cristiano Ronaldo does what Cristiano Ronaldo always does – win football games
Today, Atletico Madrid notched up their 100th goal in Champions League competition when Saul Niguez guided a sublime header into the far post at Leicester. Today, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th goal in Champions League competition when he tapped the ball into an empty net from all of yards.
There is very danger that the sheer volume of his efforts will dull us to the unmitgated awesomeness of the Portuguese superstar, but we shouldn’t make that mistake.
Read, Also – 5 Reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo is the Greatest Footballer of All Time
He scored the perfect hattrick – his header (excellent, as ever) came as a result of intelligent off the ball movement, his second (while blatantly offside) showcased his first touch and ruthless finishing, and his third was a result of his never say never attitude to running forward when the scent of a goal is in the air.
People can dismiss him for his poor overall performance over the 90 minutes (he wasn’t great, at all), people can thrash him for being selfish (he was, before he opened the scoring – he could easily have given Madrid the lead if he’d passed to Benzema when his partner was in far better positions than him)... what people can’t do, or rather shouldn’t do, is belittle him by saying he was just lucky for being at the right place at the right time.
That luck doesn’t happen if he doesn’t spot the pass, if he doesn’t make the run, if he doesn’t shake the defender.
After Benzema’s departure, he spent half-an-hour playing as a lone striker, and did a mighty fine job of it. He’s 32, and he’s already adapting into a whole-new role.
It’s scary just how awesome this man is.
P.S. That Marco Asensio looks some player, eh
P.P.S. Yes, the main talking point of the match is Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes, this one is about him. Yes almost everything else is about him. But the man of the match on the night? Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior.
