Cristiano Ronaldo Reportedly Feeling 'Unease' in Battle to Break Raul's Record

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is struggling to make the final step to become the club’s all-time record goalscorer and, according to reports, feels “unease” at being just one goal behind the great Raul. 

Marca claimed being so close to the record is hampering Ronaldo, with the Portuguese ace only getting on the scoresheet in two games this term, albeit netting a combined eight goals in those matches. But the former Manchester United man toiled again on Saturday as Real Madrid drew 0-0 with a determined Malaga team.

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As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, it was a particularly frustrating day in front of goal for an erratic Ronaldo:

At the moment, Ronaldo finds himself on 322 goals, one behind Raul’s haul of 323. It’s a mark the Blancos man will eventually surpass and, given he’s only 30 years old, will most likely exceed by some distance. But getting to the milestone does seem to be somewhat troubling for the forward at the moment.

Team-mate and good friend Marcelo has backed Ronaldo, insisting the rest of the Real Madrid players have a duty to step up as well, per Marca:

"

It's nothing to worry about. Cristiano always scores and it wasn't just him today. Everyone had chances, but the ball didn't want to go in.

It's not a problem if Cristiano doesn't score and we're not worried. There are games when the ball just doesn't want to go in and it's not just him. Jese had his chances, Benzema, Isco and Modric too, but the ball just wouldn't go in and the keeper stopped everything.

"

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Ronaldo is certainly becoming a player who is increasingly reliant on the supply line from his Real Madrid team-mates. No longer does he pick the ball up in withdrawn areas, beat a man and smash one into the top corner; the 30-year-old has evolved his game, becoming more of a penalty-box player.

Therefore, if the team is not at its creative best, that can cause problems. But as journalist JJ Omojuwa noted, Ronaldo’s figures are remarkable when compared to the man whom he is trying to overhaul in the all-time list:

After Real failed to win the game on Saturday, the scrutiny on Ronaldo has been ramped up even more than usual, but patience is clearly the order of the day when it comes to reaching landmarks such as this one. The Portuguese is a player who prides himself on individual achievements as well as team ones, so there’s little doubt the 323-goal mark will be playing on his mind.

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That was evident during the game with Malaga, during which Ronaldo did little to hide his frustrations, as we can see here:

Ronaldo needs to accept breaking the record as an inevitability and get back to enjoying his football. He’s a player who enjoys taking on the responsibility, and given his supreme talent, Real will naturally play to his strengths. But to take 14 attempts in a match, as was the case against Malaga, does reek of a player trying a little too hard.

There were plenty who expected the floodgates to open for Ronaldo after he scored eight goals in two games against Espanyol and Shakhtar Donetsk earlier in September, but as of yet, the spark hasn’t quite been there. It’ll re-emerge, and the record will be broken, but the forward may find these two goals a little tougher to come by than the 322 to have preceded them.