Ranking Cristiano Ronaldo’s five previous Champions League finals
By Sachin Bhat
#2 Moscow 2008: Manchester United 1-1 (6-5 pens) Chelsea
It’s widely touted that this was the season when Cristiano Ronaldo truly embarked on the journey towards becoming an all-time great. And this match in particular further testified it.
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In his first ever Champions League Final, Ronaldo was coming off the back of a prolific campaign with the Red Devils, having scored 40 goals in all competitions and also nicked the Premier League Golden Boot. Now, the world awaited him to shine on the biggest stage of them all. The knives were already drawn, but Ronaldo being Ronaldo, lived up to the promise.
Following a cagey opening 25 minutes, the Portuguese brought the final to life when he finally broke the deadlock.
Wes Brown picked him out inside the area with an inviting cross, and Ronaldo thrust himself into the air to head it against the Moscow sky, and into the back of the net.
The boy from Madeira, in the biggest game of his career so far, caught the world’s imagination with that impeccably executed header, and set United on it’s way to a third Champions League crown.
Now, of course, the naysayers would chaff at his missed spot-kick in the deciding penalty shootouts. But would the prospect have even arrived it in the first place without his aerial heroics?