Cristiano Ronaldo 450th club goal may not be one that he remembers at the end of his career, but it has helped Real Madrid launch a response to their La Liga battering by Barcelona at the weekend.
Los Blancos lead Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at half time of their Champions League clash after Ronaldo snuck a header over the line from just a couple of yards out, with Gareth Bale having lobbed the goalkeeper.
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Bale may actually have been going for goal himself, but his effort was missing the far post and Ronaldo was well positioned to nod home his first goal in three games and sixth in Europe this season.
This latest landmark may be of some comfort to the Portuguese after a chaotic few days during which Real were thrashed 4-0 by Barca and his relationship with manager Rafael Benitez came under scrutiny.
As the Daily Mail report, Benitez held “clear the air talks” with the Ballon d’Or holder and several other senior players, including Bale, on Tuesday evening. It seems to have had the desired effect!
Madrid have already booked qualification to the knockout stages and will secure top spot in Group A if they close out victory in Ukraine as they have a better head-to-head record against Paris Saint-Germain.
Half-time: Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 Real Madrid
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