Ronaldo in fine form for Champions League final
Real Madrid to face Juventus on Saturday
CARDIFF, Wales — Cristiano Ronaldo has saved his best for last.
Ronaldo enters the Champions League final playing his best soccer of the season, peaking at the right time as Real Madrid gets ready to take on Juventus on Saturday in Cardiff, Wales.
“I feel good,” Ronaldo said before travelling to Britain, “in great form.”
The Portugal forward paced himself like never before this season, skipping several games so he could stay fresh and thrive in the final stretch. And the time spent resting paid off, as he scored 14 goals in his last nine matches, for his best run of the season.
Ronaldo has scored two straight hat tricks in the Champions League, one in the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich and another in the semifinals against Atletico Madrid. In Madrid’s final three Spanish league games, he scored five goals to lead the team to its first title in five years.
Ronaldo is not hiding his confidence ahead of Saturday’s game.
“We must go into the match with humility, but showing attitude and character, showing that we are the better team,” Ronaldo said. “Juventus is a great team, but I think we are better. I have the feeling that we are going to play a great match and win. We are thinking positive.”
It had been a lacklustre season by Ronaldo’s standards, and his slow start kept him from having a chance of reaching 50 goals for the first time since 2009-10, his debut season with Madrid. He has scored 40 goals so far.
He also struggled early in the Champions League, scoring only twice in his first eight games, but ended with eight goals in his last four matches, becoming the first player to break the 100-goal mark in the competition.
“We are in a great moment and we have to take advantage of it,” Ronaldo said.
He credited his great run to coach Zinedine Zidane’s ability to keep the team competitive despite constantly rotating the squad.
“I’m in better shape physically than in other seasons,” the 32-year-old said. “Zidane intelligently managed the squad.”