Ronaldo set to receive Sporting ovation
PARIS: Cristiano Ronaldo takes on his first professional club Sporting as a champion of Europe with Real Madrid and Portugal in the Champions League today.
He will doubtless receive a hero’s welcome on his return to the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.
Ronaldo’s hat-trick at the weekend, his 39th for Real, delivered a 3-0 away win at Atletico Madrid in La Liga despite the visitors missing six key players in captain Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Alvaro Morata and Karim Benzema.
Champions League holders Real won the reverse fixture 2-1 and are unbeaten in 29 games in all competitions.
All Zinedine Zidane’s men need here is a point to secure passage to the next round, but with Dortmund top of Group F by two points Real will want to hunt them down as a point of pride — and to earn an easier draw in the next round.
Sporting are on an upturn and scoring regularly and are still in with a chance of the Europa League.
Dortmund, the 1997 winners and 2013 runners-up, are already certain to progress to the last 16 having amassed 10 points from their first four matches.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are now looking to secure top spot and a win at home to already-eliminated Legia Warsaw will guarantee them first place, as long as Real Madrid drop points at Sporting Lisbon.
In Group E, Tottenham Hotspur travel to Monaco boosted by claiming a first win in eight matches at the weekend, when they beat West Ham United 3-2 after a dramatic late fightback in the Premier League.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are i n real trouble in the Champions League having lost at home to Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen.
They will be eliminated if they fail to win at the Stade Louis II and Leverkusen better their result when they face CSKA Moscow in Russia.
In Group G, English champions Leicester City host Club Brugge of Belgium.
Leicester top Group G with 10 points and have yet to concede a goal in their first ever Champions League campaign.
Conversely, Club Brugge are yet to notch up a single point. A draw for the hosts would mean they progress to the next stage with a game to spare.
Domestically, the Foxes have struggled to reproduce the form that delivered the title to the King Power Stadium and sit just two points above the relegation zone after a 2-1 weekend defeat to Watford.
Claudio Ranieri’s men, however, including Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, who are on the Ballon d’Or list, are a different proposition in their maiden Champions League campaign. It even looks as if Ranieri is prioritising Europe over the Premier League.
In Group H, Se villa are at home to Juventus. This is arguably the match of the round with Sevilla top on 10 points and visitors Juve second on eight with a tight 0-0 draw in Italy in the reverse fixture.
Sevilla are flying high in Spain after they produced a stunning fightback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Deportivo la Coruna.
Italian champions Juventus go into the showdown on the back of a 3-0 Serie A win over Pescara.
“It’s an important game for us because we have to win one of our last two games to go through,” coach Massimiliano Allegri said.
Juve may have to do it the hard way with several defenders carrying knocks, but the forward line of Mario Mandzukic and Gonzalo Higuain is a frightening prospect for Sevilla.