Real banking on Ronaldo goal power against City
MADRID: Boosted by Cristiano Ronaldo’s return and a nearly perfect home record, Real Madrid welcome Manchester City on Wednesday with another Champions League final almost in their grasp.
Real will have Ronaldo back after he missed three straight games because of a leg injury, including the 0-0 first-leg draw in Manchester last week. The Portuguese forward leads the Champions League with 16 goals, one shy of the record he set in the 2013-14 season.
Ronaldo hurt his right leg in a La Liga game on April 20 and hasn’t played since then.
Real have not released any official information about the injury, prompting widespread rumours about its severity, but he participated fully in training on Monday and Tuesday and looked fit to return to action.
“Cristiano is fine, he is at 100 percent,” Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane told a news conference on Tuesday. “He trained and will be there tomorrow.
“We need a 100 per cent Cristiano. He’s a different player. His numbers show that and I’m happy he’s with us tomorrow.”
Unable to recover in time were Karim Benzema and defensive midfielder Casemiro.
“Karim and Casemiro are another thing. In the scan today Karim still has a problem and we don’t want to risk him. The same with Casemiro. He doesn’t have a serious injury but it is a dilemma and we also don’t want to risk him.”
Zidane said the 10-time European champions have an obligation to reach the final.
“It’s going to be difficult, but if we don’t advance it will be a failure,” he said. “We have been saying that we haven’t won anything yet. Our goal is to advance. We will do our best to try to make it happen.”
Another edge for Real comes from Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where they have crushed all-comers this season, winning 20 of 23 matches in all competitions.
In the Champions League, they have won all five home games by outscoring opponents 18-0.