Real Madrid need Cristiano Ronaldo: he always scores at Vallecas
Ronaldo's injury against Villarreal raised the alarm in the casa blanca, he's a specialist at undoing the Rayo fortifications and always seems to score in Vallecas, where Real Madrid are headed this Saturday.
Real Madrid will go top of La Liga if they can beat cross-town rivals Rayo Vallecano in the 4pm (CET) kick-off on Saturday. Real's specialist surgeon, however, the one gifted at opening up Rayo, is unfortunately a worry for los blancos: Dr. Cristiano looks doubtful after limping out of the Villareal game at the very death.
Cristiano had played every single minute of every La Liga game before that - more than anyone else in La Liga - and was on course to break yet another record. Ronaldo's hamstring problem may keep him out of the crucial La Liga visit to Vallecas with just four games left to play in La Liga and one point between the top three.
Cristiano would be a big loss, as he has scored in each of his four visits to the Rayista stadium. More importantly, they were all essential for Real Madrid. You need look back no further than last season for evidence to prove that statement: with accounts locked at 0-0 it was Cristiano's head that broke through the barrier and Madrid won the match 0-2.
Move back in time and the argument moves forward: the 2013-14 season saw Ancelotti's side suffer at the hands of a determined Paco Jemez setup, pulling a 3-2 win out of the fire again inspired by CR7 who scored the first goal in the 2nd minute.
Ronaldo took to social media to reassure fans:
With the second half hardly started he notched his second on 50', it was another match-winning performance in a career full of match-winning performances. Perhaps his most vital goal on the 'Avenida de la Albufera' in the south of Madrid came in 2011-12 with Real dressed in red and stumbling. Out of nowhere Ronaldo popped up and scored a remarkable backheel in minute 53' from a corner.
"I never scored one like it before", said the Portuguese after the match. One of the goals you will see in the anthology on the day when Cristiano finally calls it quits.
Even Zidane recognised that "sometimes Ronaldo should really take a rest", but of course the Frenchman knows that the team needs him. Zidane's dilemma is a striking one: deploy his deadly no.7 against a Rayo side that always make it difficult in Vallecas, or keep him on ice until the Champions League semifinals against Manchester City?