Zinedine Zidane 'Disappointed' for Cristiano Ronaldo over La Liga Goal Drought

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has said he is "disappointed" for Cristiano Ronaldo after he once again failed to score in La Liga on Sunday.

He told Movistar (h/t Sport): "It is not that [Ronaldo] is tired, just the opposite—he was out for a lot of games. We are a bit disappointed for him as he has not yet scored in La Liga, but this is football. His assist for Isco was phenomenal. I hope things change in the next game."

Ronaldo has scored five goals in seven matches in all competitions this season, but he has failed to find the net against Real Betis, Alaves or Espanyol in La Liga.

For any other player except for Lionel Messi, a three-match scoreless run in La Liga wouldn't seem so unusual, particularly when goals are being scored in other competitions.

However, it offers a marked contrast with Ronaldo's league form at the back end of last season, in which he scored five goals in the final three games to ensure Los Blancos lifted the title for just the second time since he joined in 2009.

ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan noted his struggles in the 2-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu:

As OptaJose demonstrated, the Portugal star has not been his usual clinical self in front of goal:

That has not been the case on the European stage, however, as he has netted back-to-back braces in the UEFA Champions League against APOEL and Borussia Dortmund.

He also reached yet another significant career milestone against Espanyol, per Squawka Football:

Indeed, while Ronaldo is rightly known primarily for his goalscoring, which is virtually second to none, he's more creative than he's often given credit for and can contribute in other ways.

Given his form in the Champions League—particularly against a strong calibre of opponent like Dortmund—it seems unlikely his goal drought in La Liga will last much longer.

If Real are to make up the seven-point deficit they already face, they can't afford it to.