You can’t help but be in awe of Ronaldo.
Forget that he plays for Real Madrid. Forget that he represents the rampant, selfie-obsessed celebrity side of football. Get him on the pitch and he’ll blow you away. He’ll continue to astonish you with his insatiable appetite for goals and trophies.
Ronaldo, like his peer Lionel Messi, has always had an almost overwhelming drive to succeed. When they don’t – which isn’t very often – they can sulk and moan. It’s not pretty.
When things are going their way, however, they’re a sight to behold. Messi remains a magnetic, weaving genius of rare proportions. Ronaldo, on the other hand, is the apex of what can be achieved through rigorous training and treating his body like a temple. That’s not to say Messi hasn’t worked incredibly hard to get where he is now. That’s ludicrous. Of course he has.
But there can no denying that the evolution of Ronaldo, from that scrawny, cocky teenager in his formative years at Manchester United to complete footballer has been truly spectacular.
Ronaldo is a superior specimen. His leap, athleticism and speed have always marked him out as one of the most physically impressive footballers. It’s what enabled him to twist his body so expertly, meeting Dani Carvajal’s cross with an impeccably executed bicycle kick, leaving Gigi Buffon flat-footed and the rest of the stadium in amazement.
It takes a tremendous confidence in one’s ability to produce such a finish. But it’s by no means the first time Ronaldo has defied logic to score a goal that attracts unanimous praise.
Almost ten years ago, in fact, on April 1 2008, he did something similarly remarkable when he was still playing for United. It was also the Champions League quarter-final first-leg. It was also in Italy and it was also a part of a convincing away win for the team he was playing for.
Yes, it was that towering, crashing header to give United the lead against Roma in the Stadio Olimpico. Making a 20-yard dash into the area to meet Paul Scholes’ delightfully clipped cross, Ronaldo climbed above the helpless Roma full-back Marco Cassetti and fire into the corner beyond Doni.
It was another special thing. Ronaldo, who wasn’t even in the picture when Scholes was crossing, suddenly appears and heads the ball into the net in a fashion so unanswerable and physically taxing, it left him somewhat dazed and confused on the deck afterwards, eventually helped up by his teammates.
Ronaldo and United proceeded to win the Champions League that year and, although Real have disappointed in La Liga this season, it’s difficult to look beyond them reigning supreme in Europe for the fourth time in five years.
Watch the goal below. Then watch it again. Then be grateful that we get to watch a player like Ronaldo. They don’t come about that frequently.
