Final fears for Ronaldo after ankle injury
CRISTIANO RONALdO twisted an ankle and had to come off at half-time in a bad- tempered Clasico last night — less than three weeks before the Champions League final against Liverpool.
Ronaldo twisted his right ankle badly as he scored Real Madrid’s first goal at the Nou Camp. He tried to carry on, but was forced off at half-time, sparking fears about his chances of being fully fit for the showdown in Kiev on May 26.
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane tried to play down the injury, but admitted he would not know the extent of the damage until Ronaldo has had a scan today.
Gareth Bale filled the shoes of the injured No 7 and scored the goal that earned Real Madrid a point after both Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi had scored for Barcelona.
Suarez scored the first on nine minutes from Sergi Roberto’s pass and Messi grabbed a second in the second half from Suarez’s assist.
Ronaldo scored between the two Barcelona goals, converting from close range. It was as he bundled Karim Benzema’s header over the line that he came down badly on his right ankle.
‘Right now Cristiano is not good but I think it will be a small thing,’ said Zidane. ‘He will have a scan. But he has told us that it will not be anything major.’
Messi’s goal came after Suarez appeared to foul Raphael Varane in the buildup. Suarez admitted after the game: ‘I think it was a small foul. Sometimes the referee gives these things and sometimes he doesn’t.’
It was one of many mistakes from referee Alejandro Hernandez, who could have sent off Bale in the first half. The Welshman was lucky not to be booked for hacking down Andres Iniesta, who was playing his final
clasico before leaving Barcelona for a move to China.
Bale’s later challenge on Samuel Umtiti was also forceful but strangely he escaped a booking despite his studs appearing to connect with the back of his opponent’s calf.
Sergi Roberto was not so lucky when he raised his hand to Marcelo after the full back had barged him at the end of the first half.
The contact looked minimal but the referee saw a slap and the defender was shown the red card.
Barcelona looked to have won it with Messi’s goal but Bale effortlessly stroked the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen, from the edge of the area after Marco Asensio’s pass, to level.
The nasty nature of the game owed much to Real Madrid refusing to give Barcelona a guard of honour at the start of the match, as is tradition for the newly crowned league champions. GARETH BALE is due to become a father to his third child in the next 48 hours. He is suspended for Real Madrid’s next game against Sevilla, so can join fiancee Emma Rhys- Jones who is pregnant with the couple’s first son. They already have two daughters, Alba Violet, five, and Nava Valentina, two.