Ronaldo fires Real towards title
Source: Agencies |
April 23, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
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CRISTIANO Ronaldo may have finally shaken off the tag of big-game flop after he scored a dramatic winner for Real Madrid at bitter rival Barcelona on Saturday, all but wrapping up the Spanish La Liga title.
Ronaldo's 73rd-minute strike was his third goal in his last three visits to the Nou Camp and extended his La Liga record tally this season to 42, one more than Barcelona forward Lionel Messi. Messi, who had scored 13 times in 18 previous 'Clasicos' compared to five in 15 for Ronaldo, had a quiet night by his high standards and cut a forlorn figure at the end of the game.
Alexis Sanchez snatched a 70th-minute equalizer after a Sami Khedira goal had given Real an early lead.
The win, a first for Real in eight league games against Barcelona, put the Madrid-based club seven points clear of its bitter rival with four matches left and within touching distance of a first La Liga title in four years.
Ronaldo, who now has 54 goals in all competitions this season to Messi's 63, had earned a reputation as a player who failed to perform in important matches but Saturday's exhibition will help dispel that image.
"It was a very important goal because it earned the three points for us," the Portuguese told reporters.
Ronaldo has another chance to prove he can produce when it counts when Real seeks to overturn a 1-2 deficit in Wednesday's Champions League semifinal second leg at home to Bayern Munich. Real is seeking a 10th European crown and could play Barcelona again in next month's final if the holder can recover from last Wednesday's 0-1 reverse at Chelsea in their semifinal second leg tomorrow.
Ronaldo's 73rd-minute strike was his third goal in his last three visits to the Nou Camp and extended his La Liga record tally this season to 42, one more than Barcelona forward Lionel Messi. Messi, who had scored 13 times in 18 previous 'Clasicos' compared to five in 15 for Ronaldo, had a quiet night by his high standards and cut a forlorn figure at the end of the game.
Alexis Sanchez snatched a 70th-minute equalizer after a Sami Khedira goal had given Real an early lead.
The win, a first for Real in eight league games against Barcelona, put the Madrid-based club seven points clear of its bitter rival with four matches left and within touching distance of a first La Liga title in four years.
Ronaldo, who now has 54 goals in all competitions this season to Messi's 63, had earned a reputation as a player who failed to perform in important matches but Saturday's exhibition will help dispel that image.
"It was a very important goal because it earned the three points for us," the Portuguese told reporters.
Ronaldo has another chance to prove he can produce when it counts when Real seeks to overturn a 1-2 deficit in Wednesday's Champions League semifinal second leg at home to Bayern Munich. Real is seeking a 10th European crown and could play Barcelona again in next month's final if the holder can recover from last Wednesday's 0-1 reverse at Chelsea in their semifinal second leg tomorrow.
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