This term, Juve have already secured progression to the knockout phase, but Ronaldo only has one goal to his name. So why has he found it harder to hit the target in Europe since moving to Italy?

On the domestic scene, CR7 had a slow start in Serie A, but now has 10 goals from a total of 15 starts. That’s just one behind Genoa’s Krzysztof Piatek and level with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile who claimed the Capocannoniere award last year. As a result, the Portuguese frontman has been installed as favourite to be 2018/19 top goal scorer in the sports betting markets.

These figures show that it is only in Europe where Ronaldo’s strike rate has suffered. But that could have a lot to do with the different approach the Italians have taken to the competition compared with Real Madrid. Where Los Blancos dominated teams with ruthless waves of attack, the Bianconeri have been more measured, just doing enough to get them over the line.

Ronaldo averaged over a goal a game in the Champions League for Real Madrid. Based on that, he should have five already this season but has only found the net once. Even in his first season at the Bernabeu, he managed seven goals from six appearances in the competition.

Getting sent off in the first match against Valencia wasn’t the perfect start and meant Ronaldo had to watch on as fellow striker Paulo Dybala filled his boots scoring a hat-trick at home to Young Boys. That match may have provided him with the platform to get off the mark.

The follow-up game at Old Trafford saw him draw another blank before he finally found the net in the reverse fixture in Turin. Unfortunately, it was not enough to prevent defeat to Jose Mourinho’s men as a late strike from Juan Mata and an own goal from Leo Bonucci left Juve empty-handed.

A home game against Valencia also ended in frustration for Ronaldo, although Juventus still grabbed the win thanks to a goal from Mario Mandzukic. The Old Lady ended their group stage campaign with 2-1 defeat to Young Boys in which Dybala found the target once again, Ronaldo providing the assist.

The most important thing for Juventus is that they have qualified for the knockout stages. But one of the biggest incentives they had for bringing Ronaldo to Turin was the advantage he could give them in the Champions League. They may have finished top of their group, but it has been Dybala’s goals that have carried them through.

If Juve are to achieve their dream of winning their first European Cup since 1996, they will need the former Manchester United and Real Madrid attacker to be fire on all cylinders as they enter the next phase.

The post Ronaldo’s Champions League Goal Drought Continues first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

Sure, there was the improbable Euro 2016 win with Portugal (arguably his greatest achievement) and a host of league titles with Manchester United and Real Madrid, but the Champions League is ‘his competition’. Years from now, we will be looking back and lumping him with those players synonymous with Europe’s greatest club competition – Alfredo Di Stefano, Francisco Gento, Lionel Messi and Ferenc Puskas. Of course, as the competition’s top scorer in history, Ronaldo will deserve a seat at the head of the table.

However, as Ronaldo and his Juventus team-mates learned a couple of weeks ago in that sucker-punch defeat to Manchester United, catching lightning in a bottle over and over again is not an easy task. It’s almost mind-boggling to think that Ronaldo is going for his fifth Champions League title in six seasons this term. But, as fans of the Old Lady will tell you, it’s incredibly tough to win. In a way, Ronaldo’s Madrid side was an outlier, a freak side that benefited from obvious talent, but also some serendipity.

Man City Now Favourites

Just a couple of weeks ago, Juventus were branded the Champions League favourites by both bookies and pundits. Those odds have now dropped after the defeat to United, with Bet365 putting Man City (10/3) and Barcelona (5/1) ahead of Max Allegri’s men, who have odds of 11/2. Incidentally, Ronaldo’s former employers in Madrid are back at 10/1.

It is, of course, difficult to make a judgement on any of the top clubs in Europe. Even if you watch live sports streaming and catch every single game, every kick of the ball from the top clubs, you are not going to be able to make a truly impartial judgement on how teams will come up later in the competition. Moreover, we have seen over the last couple of seasons that favourites Man City have struggled when they have come up against 12/1 shots Liverpool in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Madrid is Location for 2019 Final

The point is that it’s tough to win the Champions League. That may sound like a throwaway statement, but it serves to highlight that the best team does not always win. With all due respect to Ronaldo, most would say that Madrid were not at their very best last season, yet still managed to be crowned kings of Europe in a wonderful night in Kiev. For that reason, the reverse is also true: Juventus might very well be the best team in Europe right now, but that does not guarantee they will break their painful Champions League Final losing record in the Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid on 1^st June.

Embed from Getty Images

All of this might sound a bit negative on Juventus, but it’s rather a statement of reality. They are a wonderful team and, of course, in Ronaldo many will feel they have finally got the ‘difference maker’, the player who can take them across the finish line. If he can do it, then ever more records will come his way: He will join the legendary Paco Gento as the only player to win six Champions League/European Cup Finals. He will also join Clarence Seedorf as the only player to win the Champions League with three different clubs. If he does it, we will once again be short for words to describe the mercurial Portuguese star.

The post Ronaldo & Juventus Learn Champions Aren’t Crowned in Autumn first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

The big question is, will Ronaldo play and if so, what impact will he have on the game?

Our friends over at matched betting service Profit Accumulator have given us an overview of his chances of starting and also an assessment as to the impact he might have (if he does play).

Is he injured?

Cristiano only managed to play the first 45 mins of Real Madrid’s last El Clasico with Barcelona. He was substituted at half-time with a suspected ankle injury.

It’s unclear whether this is a recurrence of an old injury, or a new one – but all Real fans will be holding their breath to see if he is fit to start the biggest match in club football.

The good news is that his manager Zinedine Zidane has said that he will be at ‘150%’.

Last Thursday, Zidane said this:

“Everyone will be okay for the final – Cristiano, Isco and Carvajal. Cristiano is the one who will be out longest, as it just happened two days ago. But he is good, he’s walking normally. It’s incredible that he’s already walking. That shows his ambition, his desire to play. We do not know when he will be back with the group, or if he will be back for Villarreal, but it would be perfect to have everyone ready for that final La Liga game. Nobody will have any problems for the final, they will all be at 150%.”

What will his impact be if he does play?

Embed from Getty Images
Ronaldo is often considered to be the best player in the world, or at the very least a close second to Messi.

His record in the Champions League is unrivalled and he holds many records. Here are some of the Champions league records that Cristiano currently holds:

• 4 Champions League winners medals.
• Featured in 5 Champions League finals. A feat bettered only by Maldini, who has 6.
• Record number of Champions League goals: 116
• Record number of Champions League final goals: 4

That’s just a selection of his records as well, there are numerous more. It’s safe to say that he is a big game player, so he will definitely have an impact.

Who are favourites to win the final?

Madrid are chasing their third successive Champions League crown, having become the only team to successfully defend the prize since the new format of the competition was introduced in 1992-93. The last team to win the European Cup three times in succession was Bayern Munich between 1974-76.

The odds are currently in their favour. Madrid are 8/11 favourites to win, whilst Liverpool are 23/17 to win. On the night, though, anything can happen. Liverpool have had an impressive run so far, knocking out some big teams… but then, again so have Madrid.

Experience may well play a big part in who wins and if that’s the case, Real have the upper hand. Not least because of Ronaldo. He really is a trendsetter when it comes to Champions League statistics.

Who do you think will win the Champions League final? Will Ronaldo have a big impact?

The post What Impact Will Cristiano Ronaldo Have on the Champions League Final? first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

The Portuguese star struck twice in his side’s 6-0 victory to take his European tally for 2017 to 18, breaking the previous best of 16 – a record set by none other than the 32-year-old himself in 2015.

With Real leading 4-0 at half-time through goals from Modric, Nacho and Benzema (x2), the contest was all but over at the break, but Ronaldo was not content with riding out the second stanza, firing home twice.

While the manner and clinical nature of their victory will impress coach Zinedine Zidane, Los Blancos will only progress to the knockout stages as Group H runners-up after Tottenham secured top spot with a from-behind victory away at Borussia Dortmund.

That fact is sure to keep Ronaldo and his Real Madrid teammates grounded heading into the last 16 of the tournament they’ve won twice on the bounce.

The post Magical Ronaldo Sets Another Goalscoring Record first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid booked their spots in the semi-finals this week with victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid respectively.

The planet’s best footballers have scored eight times in Europe this season. But Shakhtar Donetsk’s Adriano, courted by Arsenal and Liverpool, has netted on nine occasions this term.

Adriano, who moved to Donetsk in 2007, scored five against BATE Borsiov in the group stages. His performance that night made history, with the 27-year-old becoming only the second player to score five times in a Champions League game. The other was Messi for Barcelona against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012.

He also scored the third quickest hat-trick in the competition’s history (12 minutes) as the Ukrainian side, knocked out by Bayern Munich in the round of 16, racked up the biggest-ever half-time lead (6-0) in Europe’s premier tournament.

Ronaldo and Messi however, remain in pole-position to top the scoring charts with Barcelona and Real Madrid both in the hat for the two-legged semi-finals to be played next month.

Of the teams still in the pot, Neymar and Luis Suarez of Barcelona, Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and former Manchester United and City striker Carlos Tevez, now plying his trade for Juventus, each have six goals.

The draw for the semi finals will take place on Friday, April 24th.

The post Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in race to be Champions League top scorer first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

A side with Injury crisis were looked fully motivated and with high morale. After missing out Key Players like Gareth Bale and Luka Modric for the Derby’s second leg real madrid’s midfield can be a weak zone.

In absence of  Magician Luka Modric, In form James Rodrriguez will hold the key spot in the game for the Los Blancos. Whereas Chicharito will start the game as Karim Benzema has been ruled out for the match.

All eyes will be on Real Madrid‘s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored against every opposition he had played in the Champions League this season.

[fbphotos id=734567899994623]

The post Final Training Session ahead of Madrid derby decider first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti will be without playmaker Luka Modric and forward Gareth Bale while striker Karim Benzema’s knee injury may be more serious than first thought and he will also miss the quarter-final, second leg.

As well as the injury absences, attacking fullback Marcelo is suspended for the decider at the Bernabeu with the tie standing at 0-0 from the first game.

Ancelotti must improvise by either playing two, rather than the usual trident, in attack as he has often done in the absence of Bale or by pushing Rodriguez forward on to the right wing to take the place of the Welshman.

Rodriguez has been in impressive form since his return from injury at the beginning of April with Real winning all four league games.

The Colombian stood out in a sluggish performance by Real in Saturday’s 3-1 La Liga win over Malaga when he scored a fine 25-metre goal, won a penalty and provided defensive cover in midfield.

Now, in the absence of Modric, who is set to be the player that Real will miss most against Atletico, it is Rodriguez who can provide similar passing and build-up play.

Ronaldo’s strike against Malaga brought up his 50th goal of the season but he struggled after Christmas without the support from midfield of Modric or Rodriguez.

“The best player was James because he gave a lot of quality to the team,” Ancelotti told a news conference after the Malaga victory.

Atletico will try to take advantage of the absentees to get some revenge for their defeat in last season’s Champions League final and are led in attack by Antoine Griezmann who is in a rich vein of form.

“He has scored important goals all season and is giving a lot to the team,” fellow forward Raul Garcia told reporters.

The Frenchman hit a double in Atletico’s 2-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.

“The final is in the past. It would have been nice to win but this is another match. The team is playing very well and we are in a positive mood,” added Garcia.

The post Real’s Rodriguez may hold key amid injury crisis first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi‘s ongoing battle to be the top goalscorer in European football remains perhaps the greatest footballing drama of our age, but both need to raise their game considerably if they are to scoop the following European Champion Clubs‘ Cup and UEFA Europa League records.

Final goals
Most goals in European Cup finals: 7 – Alfrédo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás (both Real Madrid CF)
Goals in most European Cup finals: 5 – Alfrédo Di Stefano (Real Madrid, 1956, 1957, 1958. 1959, 1960)
Most goals in a single European Cup final: 4 – Ferenc Puskás (Real Madrid, 1960)
Most goals in a single UEFA Champions League final: 2 – Daniele Massaro (AC Milan, 1994), Karl-Heinz Riedle (Borussia Dortmund, 1997), Hernán Crespo (Milan, 2005), Filippo Inzaghi (Milan, 2007), Diego Milito (FC Internazionale Milano, 2010)

With two finals goals each – and only one in any single final (Messi in 2009 and 2011, Ronaldo in 2008 and 2014) – Ronaldo and Messi both have a way to go to emulate the all-time final star strikers. Two other players have also scored in two UEFA Champions League finals: Raúl González (Real Madrid, 2000, 2002) and Samuel Eto’o (FC Barcelona, 2006, 2009).

Goals in European Cup/UEFA Champions League stages
Most UEFA Champions League group stage goals: Raúl González (53)
Most European Cup/UEFA Champions League quarter-final goals: Alfrédo Di Stéfano (14)
Most European Cup/UEFA Champions League semi-final goals: Alfrédo Di Stéfano (11)

Raúl‘s twin records as the leading UEFA Champions League and UEFA club competition goalscorer have fallen to Ronaldo (who holds both) and Messi (who shares the former only), but the ex-Madrid ace retains his status as the all-time top marksman in the UEFA Champions League group stage; Messi on 44 and Ronaldo on 38 may surpass that mark yet.

Di Stéfano remains king in terms of quarter-final and semi-final goals, though his throne appears increasingly vulnerable. Ronaldo has registered 12 in the quarters and eight in the semis; Messi has notched 10 and two respectively at those stages.

Success with different sides
Final wins with the most teams in the UEFA Champions League: 3 – Clarence Seedorf (AFC Ajax 1995, Real Madrid 1998, Milan 2003, 2007)
Highest number of teams scored for in the UEFA Champions League: 6 – Zlatan Ibrahimović (Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain)

Cristiano Ronaldo is unique in having scored in UEFA Champions League finals for two different winning sides – Manchester United FC in 2008 and Madrid in 2014. The luckless Velibor Vasović is the only other player to net in European Cup finals for two clubs, as a loser with FK Partizan in 1966 and Ajax in 1969. Ronaldo will require a transfer if he is to match Clarence Seedorf’s unique achievement of winning the competition with three separate teams.

Oldest goalscorer
UEFA Champions League final: Paolo Maldini (36 years 333 days) Milan v Liverpool FC (25/05/2005)
UEFA Champions League, group stage to final: Francesco Totti (38 years 59 days)
PFC CSKA Moskva v AS Roma (25/11/2014)
European Cup: Manfred Burgsmüller (38 years 293 days)
SV Werder Bremen v SC Dynamo Berlin (11/10/1988)

To overtake the UEFA Champions League oldest scorer mark, Ronaldo will need to register in the competition, group stage to final, after 1 April 2023, and Messi after 22 August 2025. To become the European Cup’s all-time oldest scorer, Ronaldo will have to hit the target after 22 November 2023, and Messi after 13 April 2026.

Fastest goals
Fastest UEFA Champions League goal: Roy Makaay (10.12 seconds)
FC Bayern München v Real Madrid (07/03/2007)
Fastest UEFA Champions League final goal: Paolo Maldini (53 seconds) Milan v Liverpool (25/05/2005)

Hat-tricks
Fastest UEFA Champions League hat-trick: Bafétimbi Gomis (8 mins)
GNK Dinamo Zagreb v Olympique Lyonnais, 07/12/2011
Hat-tricks in consecutive UEFA Champions League games: Luiz Adriano (2)
FC BATE Borisov v FC Shakhtar Donetsk (21/10/14) & FC Shakhtar Donetsk v FC BATE Borisov (05/11/14)

Long-distance records
Goals in most successive UEFA Champions League seasons: Raúl González (14)
Goals in most UEFA Champions League seasons: Ryan Giggs (16)

Sporting Clube de Portugal did not get through qualifying in Ronaldo’s only attempt with the club, and the forward then failed to net in his first two UEFA Champions League seasons with United. However, he has registered in the last nine campaigns – and nine in all – meaning he must keep playing and scoring for five more seasons to catch Raúl. To replicate Giggs’s total he may – like the Welshman – need to play on until he is over 40.

There were no false starts for Messi, yet he has scored in only ten UEFA Champions League campaigns and will be well into his 30s before he can trouble Raúl or Giggs in this respect.

Single-season total
Most goals in a single European season: Radamel Falcao (18), FC Porto 2010/11

Falcao’s glorious exploits in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League set a mark that Messi and Ronaldo have been unable to emulate. The Colombian’s haul included one goal in qualifying and 17 in the competition proper. Messi’s best year came in 2011/12 when he ended the European season with 14 strikes, while Ronaldo set a new European Cup/UEFA Champions League record with 17 in 2013/14. Both men have notched eight this term, meaning they will have to make it to the final and score at a rate of over two a game if they are to outgun Falcao.

Goalscoring consistency
Goals in most consecutive appearances: Ruud van Nistelrooy (9), Manchester United, 2002/03
Best goals per game average in European Cup/UEFA Champions League: 0.97 – Gerd Müller (Bayern)
Best goals per game average in UEFA club competition*: 0.90 – Radamel Falcao (Porto, Club Atlético de Madrid)

Ruud van Nistelrooy did not figure in all United’s games in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League but managed to score in nine straight appearances in that campaign – ten if you include his goal in qualifying. Ronaldo has come the closest to bettering that mark, with strikes in eight successive 2013/14 outings.

However, when it comes to goals per match, Ronaldo cannot compete with the all-time record holders. His UEFA Champions League record stands at 0.66 a game – 76 goals in 115 games – and it is 0.66 in all UEFA club competitions too – 78 in 118. Messi has registered at (0.80 in the UEFA Champions League – 75 goals in 94 games; 0.78 in all UEFA competitions – 76 in 97). If Falcao’s awesome total may yet come down when he returns to European action, Gerd Müller‘s European Cup ratio still seems unbeatable.

The post UEFA Records Messi and Ronaldo have not Broken Yet first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

Ronaldo received the most votes 623,046  in a team that was dominated by the Bundesliga after five Bayern Munich players were selected. Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos and German World Champion midfielder Toni Kroos were the two other Madrid player among the UEFA’s 2014 Best XI. Bayern Munich who also have four current players in the team; goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, captain Philipp Lahm, left back David Alaba and winger Arjen Robben.

A record number of votes were cast in the poll (8.5 million compared to 2013’s 6.3 million), with UEFA.com staff writers picked the final XI from a shortlist of 40 players.

La Liga were the most represented league in terms of players, while the only Premier League player to have made it was Angel di Maria, whose joined Manchester United in the summer.

The post UEFA Team of the Year 2014: Ronaldo received record most votes first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.

Five spectators encroached on the pitch from different sections of the St Jakob Park stadium in the 89th minute of Real’s 1-0 win on Wednesday.

Play was delayed for about two minutes as three of the spectators were chased and caught by security staff. The other two spectators appeared to be filming the arrest of a fan wearing a Real shirt.

UEFA says its disciplinary panel will judge the case on December 11.

Basel was sanctioned by UEFA twice last season for incidents that disrupted Champions League and Europa League matches.

In the first, Greenpeace activists abseiled from the stadium roof to protest competition sponsor Gazprom. They also faced charges for fan disorder, namely the setting-off and throwing of objects.

The post FC Basel charged for fans on pitch near Ronaldo first appeared on Cristiano Ronaldo Fan | News, Photos, Blog, Pics, Videos.