What Impact Will Cristiano Ronaldo Have on the Champions League Final?

The Champions League final in Kiev is only a few days away, and it will surely be one of the biggest games of the year.

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?

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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?

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