Cristiano Ronaldo Showing His Leadership Among Real Madrid Underperformers
Real Madrid returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory at Levante on Wednesday, but it wasn't a game where they dominated or played comfortably throughout.
La Liga's bottom club gave them plenty of scares and had chances to level matters up before Isco's late strike. Cristiano Ronaldo had earlier put his team in front and Borja Mayoral's shot went into the net via the goalkeeper's back.
While not a vintage display in defence, midfield or attack by an understrength Real, they took the points on merit against Levante—largely thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's efforts on and off the ball, as the No. 7 continued to show his worth to the team during a difficult moment.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
End product
It's still the most important part of his game, but there's little argument to be had that Ronaldo's end product and clinical edge has dipped this season.
He's clearly not going to finish anywhere near his 48 goals of last season, while his conversion rate has dropped from 21 per cent last season to just 14 per cent this campaign (per WhoScored).
Another notable drop is his initial impact on matches: last term, 16 of his Liga goals were the first strike in a match (one in three of his total haul), while this season, he has managed to score first only six times (one in four). So, he's scoring less frequently, and when he does, it's less frequently the key first goal of the game.
Chance creation is also slightly lower, down to 1.5 per 90 minutes from 2.2 last season—but actual assists are still on track. He has nine in La Liga, which only Luis Suarez can better.
All told, Ronaldo's tangible end product is unequivocally lowered this season. He doesn't affect matches with as much relentlessness, attacking defences minute-by-minute. On one hand that's due to his own high standards being difficult to maintain with increasing age and on the other it's because the entire team are underperforming this season—which is where we do see Ronaldo taking centre stage.
Dragging others along
It has been evident before this season, but against Atletico Madrid and Levante in the past week, it has been more noticeable than ever.
Ronaldo's work rate doesn't quite hit prodigious levels, but he certainly doesn't lack for movement. He possesses a grim determination and an outlook on the game—and on himself, too—which demands he shows for the ball repeatedly, dropping into different areas to take possession.
His status in the side is such that his team-mates will inevitably look to pass to him, even if it's not in an area Ronaldo can immediately hurt the opposition in, forcing the team forwards.
His urgency in turn initiates off-the-ball movement from his team-mates, partly as they'll expect something to be created by the No. 7 and partly because he's not scared of throwing out a glare or two once possession has been lost.
Ronaldo does not possess, say, the calm authority of a Paulo Maldini, who simply demands better by his mere existence, nor a rousing, fiery persona such as Roy Keane. Instead, he is a player who will up the tempo and intensity of his own game, immediately demanding that team-mates try to keep pace. It's not always in a tactically astute manner, but sometimes talent can override tactics, and Ronaldo certainly has that in abundance.
Results above all
They're not winning any domestic competitions this season, but Real still have to pick up positive results. The entity of the club demands it, and the fans do, too.
Points and victories in isolation are overanalysed at a club such as Real Madrid, but if the fallout from the derby defeat was bad, not taking three points against the bottom club would have been catastrophic. Ronaldo scored one and set up another—when Levante were pushing for the equaliser, it was he who was demanding more from his team-mates, he who led the attacking threat and he who eventually found the gaps to get shots away.
With a little more luck or timing, he might have had one or two more goals and given his team a more comfortable night, but as referred to earlier, missing shots has been a theme of his season.
Ronaldo might not be the 1.5 goals-per-game unstoppable monster of previous campaigns, but he's still ultimately one of the most important and effective members of the squad and, crucially, one who isn't shying away from the challenge now that Real are coming under scrutiny for underachieving this season.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
