Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo lived to fight another day, as Portugal survived Croatia in an incredible World Cup Round of 32 matchup that will not be soon forgotten. Although Cristiano had a brilliant goal turned over by the point of his shoulder on the VAR check, he still got his crucial goal by cooly deposting another penalty.
For years, Real Madrid fans watched Ronaldo automatically score from the spot and dominate in the clutch at a level far beyond that of his peers, guiding Los Blancos to Champions League titles with nerves of steel.
Portugal and the modern football fans who may have missed just how dominant Ronaldo was in these moments got a chance to see that all over again in the win over Croatia, and his manager Roberto Martinez acknowledged his prowess in those situations.
Real Madrid fans will always believe in Cristiano
Martinez told the media of Ronaldo, via Fabrizio Romano, “There isn’t a single player at this World Cup who can take a penalty the way Cristiano did”.
Nothing about that is earth shattering news to the Madridistas. Cristiano Ronaldo only missed three penalties in his first five La Liga seasons at Real Madrid, once scoring 12 from the spot in one season. But it felt like his accuracy and composure got even better under more pressure, whereas the inverse is usually true for attackers.
Real Madrid fans will nod in agreement at the words of Roberto Martinez, because they have seen this phenomenon over the years. There is not a single player you would rather have taking a shot, including a spot kick, with everything on the line than Cristiano; he is the choice for Team Earth if there were a hypothetical penalty shootout against alien invaders.
Ronaldo will prepare to face Real Madrid rival Lamine Yamal and the Spanish national team on Monday, and given the quality of these two teams and the slim margin for error, there is a real chance that the legendary No. 7 will be called upon to deliver from the spot again. And once more, you would not doubt Cristiano to make good on his opportunity if he has to.
Cristiano is a huge reason why penalty kick specialists or goals from the spot cannot be downplayed, because having someone like that who can give you a guaranteed goal when you need it most is massive, and Portugal found that out as they managed to edge past an excellent Croatia side.
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