Both Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo have been off colour this season but is CR7 ready to fire Los Blancos to victory in the Madrid Derby? Ronaldo was granted a leave of absence by Portugal during the international break, when he celebrated the birth of his fourth child. With everything going well there, he will be well-rested, worry-free and in high spirits heading into Saturday’s crucial clash at Wanda Metropolitano.
Both Real and Atletico have been underwhelming this season. They sit third and fourth in the La Liga standings respectively, tied on 23 points with Los Blancos ahead by virtue of their better goal difference. Barcelona already have an 8 point advantage at the top of the table and will be extremely difficult to reel in. This adds even more pressure in what is already one of the biggest matches of the season.
Tactical Shift Could Benefit Ronaldo
Atletico Madrid’s strength is in their well-organised defence. Diego Simeone’s side rarely give anything away and have the second best defensive record in La Liga going into Saturday’s showdown. This suggests that Real Madrid will have to work extremely hard to break them down, while also being prepared to deal with any counter attacks.
So far this season, Zinedine Zidane has predominantly gone with a 4-4-2 diamond formation, using Isco in the hole. This has seen Ronaldo used in a more central forward role, which gives him less room to maneuver than when played out wide. However, with Isco being an injury doubt, there is a school of thought that suggests Zidane could roll out a 4-3-3. This would potentially afford Ronaldo more room to operate on the left of an attacking three and could result in an improved performance.
There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is a big game player. He regularly rises to the occasion and has scored in three separate Champions League finals. A good omen ahead of Saturday’s match is that he scored two hat-tricks against Atletico Madrid last season. Real Madrid fans will be hoping for more of the same from the main man on this occasion.
