Reinvented ‘centre-forward’ Ronaldo ready to fire Real to glory

TIL Desk Sports/ Once famous for his extravagant stepovers and ability to leave defenders in his wake, Cristiano Ronaldo has this season evolved from fleet-footed winger to penalty box predator extraordinaire. Real Madrid have reaped the rewards of switching the Portuguese to play as more of a central striker.

With eight goals in his last four knockout stage appearances, Ronaldo has almost single-handedly fired Zinedine Zidane’s side into Saturday’s Champions League final with Juventus. That also puts Los Blancos on the brink of their first league and European Cup double in 59 years as they seek to become the first side to retain the European trophy in successive seasons in its current format.

The switch to centre-forward has also seen Ronaldo overtake Jimmy Greaves as the top goalscorer in Europe’s top five leagues with 368 goals between the Premier League and La Liga, while also passing the milestones of 400 goals for Real and 100 Champions League strikes. “The business end of the season is important. I feel good and want to be fit and firing because this is where things are decided,” Ronaldo said.