Cristiano was everywhere
Cristiano showed his desire, he demanded it from everyone, he was a nuisance for defenders and he scored. Guillem Balagué looks at the influence of Los Blancos' talisman.
In the midst of Real Madrid's overwhelming presence in Paris, one person stood out, as he always does on the big nights. Cristiano showed his desire, he demanded it from everyone, he was a nuisance for defenders and he scored. But this final aspect actually came when he was less involved in the game.
Cristiano's team influence
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In the first half, he (too often) took on the responsibilities that normally lie with Kroos and Modric. Those touches of the ball in the middle of the pitch that seem harmless, but that help the team grow in confidence, stating, here in Paris, we are in command. He showed up on the wings when Lucas Vázquez and Asensio were already there, he dropped back, but Kovacic was sufficient.
Return to striking focus
In the second half he became more specific, more concise. The first goal came from a move in which Cristiano was far away from the action only to appear at the end to put the full stop on a neatly crafted paragraph that had been written by Asensio and Lucas Vásquez. I struggle to think of a better striker in history.