RM 1:1 Lyon and falls eliminated from the Champions League

He could be Real Madrid tried everything but could not be. In the end Real Madrid 1 - Olympique Lyon 1 in Lyon's 1-0 trip to Real Madrid falls eliminated from the Champions League.

Cristiano Ronaldo tried everything, even had a goal quickly to deft pass from Guti. But Real Madrid despite a very good first half, where missed opportunities, failed to win at Lyon.

RM 0:1 Lyon ; Cristiano convinced can still Qualify

Cristiano Ronaldo is convinced Real Madrid can overturn a 1-0 deficit (Lyon 6/5 Real Madrid 8/13 – To Qualify at Betfred) and arrest a run that has seen them crash out of the Champions League last-16 for five seasons running.

Real have not conquered Europe since 2002 and have it all to do at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu after a wonder-strike from Lyon midfielder Jean Makoun settled the first-leg at the Stade Gerland.

Spain’s big-spending capital club (Real Madrid 6/4 Spain La Liga – Outright) never looked like causing an upset but Portugal superstar Ronaldo said the tie was still alive.

The world’s most expensive footballer warned Real are a different proposition on home soil and said the players still believe they can reach the last eight.

“In football anything is possible. We’ve lost here but we have a game at home in which we can repeat what they did here,” said Ronaldo, who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008.

“I’m calm. In this competition you have to suffer. I’m sure that we will give a good answer in the return game and that we will win.

“The Bernabeu will help us. We will have to give to give it everything from the first minute until the last. The tie is not lost.”

I'm happy because I scored two goals and helped the team reach the Last 16

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals against Olympique Marseille, one of them from an impressive free-kick in the opening minutes of the match. The Portuguese player was very happy with his team's victory.

"It was a good game. I wish to congratulate my team because they all played very well, especially in the second half, during which we were more calm. I'm happy because I scored two goals and helped my team reach the Last 16."

"To qualify as group leaders is terribly important, especially for the draw. We'll see what happens now. We are confident and that's important."

"I hit the ball well today, but it has nothing to do with the fact that the Champions League ball is different to that in La Liga. My touch was good. I'm happy with the two goals."

"It will be sad to miss the match in Valencia. I didn't want to see a double booking against Almeria, but these things happen in football. I'm only human and I said I was sorry. I'm sure my team-mates will do very well inValencia."

RM 3:1, Cris double

Cristiano Ronaldo demonstrated he was back to his best for Real Madrid, scoring twice in the 3-1 Champions League win at Olympique Marseille.

The former Manchester United forward, who returned earlier this month following two months out with an ankle problem, tormented the Marseille defence throughout, netting a clinical double.

"Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player on the pitch," said Zinedine Zidane, now an adviser to Real's president Florentino Pérez.

Marseille-born Zidane, who starred for Madrid between 2001 and 2006 and who held the tag as the world's most expensive transfer prior to this summer, added: "Cristiano is not just very good, he is phenomenal. He does fantastic things, at times even better then me. Only great players can score such a magnificent goal three minutes into a game. He makes a difference. Some players are different from the rest because they do what others can't."

Ronaldo, sent off for Real at the weekend, put the Spanish side in front after only five minutes, firing a fine 30-yard free-kick into Steve Mandanda's top corner. He wrapped up the win with 10 minutes left after pinching the ball from the Marseille keeper before coolly slotting home.

"We know he is a great player and a great professional," Real's coach Manuel Pellegrini said. "I had already said he would not be affected by his sending-off last weekend in La Liga. He has this capacity to spring from everywhere and score."

Ronaldo had an odd weekend as he missed a penalty, scored a goal, set up another and picked a red card for a second bookable offence in a 4-2 victory over Almería on Saturday.

The former Manchester United player was unstoppable at the Stade Vélodrome, twisting Marseille defenders inside-out on both flanks with his acceleration and some exquisite turns as Real finished top of Group C above Milan.

Worryingly for opposing defenders, the Portugal international insists he is still getting back to his best. "I'm still not 100%, I can still give more. Little by little I'm improving. I've been out for a long time, but all the time I feel better. I need to continue as I have been doing," he said.

"This match will do him good mentally," said Pellegrini. "Too bad he will not be there for the Valencia game." However, Ronaldo, who is suspended for the encounter with La Liga's third-placed side, is confident Madrid can succeed without him at the Mestalla.

"I didn't want to be sent off against Almería, I'm human and I've already said sorry. In any case, I'm confident that my team-mates will do very well in Valencia," he said.

Welcome back.....Cris ; RM 1:0 Zurich

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo sent out a warning to Barcelona ahead of 'El Clasico' after making his return to action on Wednesday.

Ronaldo returned from injury with 20 minutes remaining as Real edged closer to a place in the Champions League last 16 with a 1-0 defeat of FC Zurich.

The world's most expensive player - having moved to the Bernabeu from Manchester United in an £80million deal last summer - had been missing for Madrid since September 30 with an ankle injury.

"It's good to be back, 55 days after my injury," Ronaldo told Sky Sports 2.

"It was very disappointing, but this is football.

"My motivation is high and I want to be back again and as strong as I was before."

Ronaldo was absent for Madrid's last 10 competitive fixtures having made a sensational start to his career in Spain.

The 24-year-old Portugal international scored nine times as Real won each of their opening seven matches, but since his absence, they have won only five of 10 - although four of those wins have come in the last five fixtures.

Ronaldo, however, is confident ahead of his first meeting with Barcelona as a Real player at the Nou Camp.

"We are top of the league and if we win we have a four-point gap," he added.

"It's going to be interesting. We are confident at the moment."

Cris makes the cut

Cristiano Ronaldo has made his first squad list 55 days after playing his last game with Real Madrid. The Portuguese forward has been training with his team-mates during the past few days and has made the cut for the clash against FC Zurich at the Bernabeu on Wednesday (20:45 CET). Raul, Albiol, Lass and Sergio Ramos have also made the list. Guti is still injured and missed training today as he is sick with flu.

Cris has anke sprain and remains doubtful for Real

Cristiano Ronaldo was in the gym training at Real Madrid on Thursday, just hours after the victory over Marseille. The Portugese superstar has suffered an ankle and is doubtful for Saturday's meeting with Seville. Attentive to the recovery Carlos Queiroz, who tells obviously with Ronaldo for the decisive engagement with Hungary and Malta, as of next week.

Real Madrid says that the player participated in the lecture that preceded the training and then followed to the gym. Ronaldo was submitted on Thursday to various tests to evaluate the injury he suffered against the Marseille, which had concluded that a grade I sprain of the internal lateral ligament in his left ankle.

Real Madrid holds the Portuguese international doubt for Sunday's game with Sevilla, "depending on the progress." Next week Ronaldo will join the selection for the last qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. In addition to the sprain, Ronaldo also has a traumatic arthritis with boe edema at the ankle bone.

Cris ia a leader in markers

Cristiano Ronaldo had already tops scorers of Champions League after two rounds in the main club competition in Europe. The Portuguese international added on Wednesday, ahead of Marseille, the second in a row as many games, surpassing the Brazilian Grafite(Wolfsburg), in the first round had achieved a hat-trick. Falcao and Ronaldo scored the first goal for FC Porto this season's competition after the team's J. Ferreira have been empty during the visit to Chelsea.

RM 3:0 Marseille; Cris double

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to lead Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Olympique Marseille in Champions League Group C Wednesday.

Marseille had effectively contained their hosts until early in the second half when the Portugal winger inspired his side to three goals in six minutes.

Ronaldo raced through to break the deadlock in the 58th minute, and was then brought down for a penalty a minute later, when visiting defender Souleymane Diawara was sent off.

Kaka converted from the spot and Ronaldo slotted away the third from Karim Benzema’s pass in the 64th, to leave Real with two wins from two.

Cris:It's fantastic!

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice on his debut for Real Madrid in the Champions League. Portugese winger was one of the protagnists in the 5-2 win over Zurich and in the end, did not hide satisfaction with the result, leaving praise for captain Raul.

"It's always good to get a win in the group stage, we did so well, because scoring five goals in Europe is never easy," said Ronaldo, after the match. The winger says the team "still evolving" and surrendered to Castro. "It's fantastic!"

The Real coach, Manuel Pellegrini, said the importance of Ronaldo in the team, "demonstrated its weight in the team in every game, and part of that weight is its free. These two goals are a confirmation of what had been doing."

RM 5:2 Zurich; Cris double free kick

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice from free kicks as Real Madrid began their Champions League campaign with a 5-2 win at FC Zurich on Tuesday despite a brave fightback from the rank outsiders.

The nine-times European champion Real Madrid appeared to be cruising when Ronaldo, Raul and Gonzalo Higuain scored in a devastating 18-minute spell before halftime in the Group C game.

Ronaldo converted a free kick in the 27th minute, Raul slid in Higuain's angled shot seven minutes later and Higuain fired in the third in first-half stoppage time.
Zurich, who failed to test keeper Iker Casillas in the first hour, hit back when Xavier Margairaz converted a 64th-minute penalty and Silvan Aegerter headed another from a corner.

Ronaldo scored with a long-range effort in the 89th which slipped through goalkeeper Johnny Leoni's hands before Guti got the fifth in stoppage time.

We didn't play well

Cristiano Ronaldo has echoed Sir Alex Ferguson’s opinion that the best team won in Rome on Wednesday night.

Ronaldo and his Reds team-mates were left to watch Barcelona lift the Champions League trophy after a game in which the Catalan side outplayed United for 80 minutes.

United – and Ronaldo, in particular – started the match brightly, but Samuel Eto’o pounced on 10 minutes to send Barcelona into the lead. That, Cristiano admits, was the moment the game turned.

“We started very well but after [the goal] I didn’t see any more of Manchester United," he told MUTV. "Barcelona played better than us, they controlled the game, created more opportunities and they deserved to win.

“You lose games because you make bad mistakes and this is what happened [on Wednesday]. We didn’t play well, we didn’t play compact. “

Despite the disappointment of losing in Rome, Ronaldo is confident United fans will see more European silverware at Old Trafford in the coming years.

“It’s really hard to retain this trophy but I still believe Manchester has the chance to win more in the next seasons.”

MU 0:2 Barcelona ; Cris: Barca defeat a big disappointment

We were told this Champions League final would be a game displaying the beauty of the counter-attack; no two teams in Europe more adept at carrying it out. But United would certainly have hoped not to be so heartbreakingly on the end of its devastation.

Twice United looked to be in control of proceedings here in Rome, and both times Barcelona hit the Reds on the break as goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi secured a 2-0 win for the Spanish champions. Make no mistake, the intricate passing football of Pepe Guardiola's side was brilliant at times, and there is no real injustice in the result.....More

Cristiano Ronaldo had admitted tonight's Champions League defeat to Barcelona was one of the biggest disappointments of his career.

Goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi were enough to overcome Manchester United in Rome's Stadio Olimpico, denying Sir Alex Ferguson's men the chance to become the first side to successfully defend the trophy since it was rebranded in 1992.

Ronaldo did cause Barca some early problems, but ultimately the Portuguese winger faded like his team, with Messi now set to claim the World Player of the Year prize he has cherished.

"This is one of the biggest disappointments of my career,'' said Ronaldo. "We were always confident before the game but unfortunately we couldn't do it.''

Speculation is now bound to surface once more about whether the 24-year-old has played his final game for the Old Trafford outfit. It was not a subject up for discussion this evening as Ronaldo came to terms with the defeat.

"It is always bad when you lose a final,'' said Ronaldo. "But we didn't play well. We did okay in the first 10 minutes but you have to say Barcelona deserved to win.''

Wayne Rooney was equally distressed at United's first European Cup final defeat, although few would argue Barcelona fully deserved their victory.

"It is a big disappointment but Barcelona were the better team,'' said the England forward. "Barcelona scored two good goals and unfortunately for us, they came at good times. That made it very difficult for us.

"Barcelona are a brilliant team. Andres Iniesta is the best player in the world in my opinion. If you don't take your chances against them, they will punish you and that is what has happened.

"It is very disappointing and the feeling at the moment is not a good one. We are hurting. But we have to forget it and look forward to next season.''

CR set on team glory

The notion goes that whomever comes out on top - Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi - then the World's best player tag is automatically theirs.

Cristiano is on the throne currently, but he says retaining his crown will not be his motivation in front of a packed Stadio Olimpico crowd on Wednesday. Believe it or not, his aim is shared glory.

“Whoever wins the final will have a better chance [of winning the award]," Ronny said. "But I don’t care about that, what I want is to win the Champions League – that’s it. Some players in my team have played fantastic football this season - they deserve it.”

Ronaldo is aware that the TV cameras and photographers' lenses will focus on him all night, but it's a pressure he's learned to live with. “It’s normal for people to talk about me," he says. "I’m 100 per cent focused on the game. I try to help my team, I will try to score and win the game.

"It's a great stadium. I feel very good to play here. I’ve played here a few times and, in my opinion, I played well. I have to play well now. The pitch, the stadium, the fans… they’re amazing; I look forward to playing here and winning. It’s going to be special.”

Cup-final suite photoshot

MU 3:1(4:1)Arsenal, Cris double

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Manchester United will go on to become history-makers in Rome on May 27.

No side has retained the European Cup since it was revamped as the Champions League in 1992.

Now United are just one win away after a dazzling 3-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium that completed a comfortable aggregate triumph to seal a meeting with either Chelsea or Barcelona.

As usual, Ronaldo was in the thick of the action, smashing home an incredible 40-yard free-kick after Park Ji-sung had seized on Kieran Gibbs' slip to give United an eighth minute lead.

Ronaldo was not finished either, taking his seasonal tally to 25 by finishing off a flowing second-half counter-attack to render Robin van Persie's late consolation as totally meaningless.

"I have always believed we were going to win it again," said Ronaldo.

"That is what we have been trying to do and now we are in the final, so we have a great opportunity.

"It was not an easy match. Arsenal are a good team, so to score three goals at their own ground is just amazing.

"The whole team were superb and we deserve to be in the final."

Ronaldo was able to spare a thought for Darren Fletcher, who looks set to miss the final after the red card he was shown for a tackle on Cesc Fabregas.

TV replays showed the Scotland international touched the ball before he made contact with the Gunners skipper, raising some hope that Italian referee Roberto Rosetti will ask for the decision to be overturned.

"I am tremendously disappointed for Darren," said the world player of the year.

"He has played in most of the games and now he cannot play in the final. He deserves to - but that is football."

Ronaldo's amazing first goal was even further out than his 39.1 yard effort against FC Porto in the last round.

Even Ferguson was caught by the surprise when he saw the ferocity of the shot, although Ronaldo could not pick a favourite between the pair.

"It is difficult to say which one was the best," he said.

"They were both very good. I just tried to hit the ball hard. It makes it a very difficult shot to save."

MU 1:0 Arsenal

Fitter. Harder. Faster. Stronger. United outfought and outclassed Arsenal on a European night to remember at Old Trafford. Yet the Reds take only a one-goal advantage to the Emirates Stadium next Tuesday, and the road to Rome is not as straightforward as it perhaps could have been.

Sir Alex said before the game that he would happily take a 1-0 victory in this Champions League semi-final, first leg. And United can take heart from an outstanding display of vigour and verve. But after the mauling Arsenal received, the Reds boss can surely only conclude that the winning margin should have been greater.

Right from the off United’s players, backed by an absolutely incredible support, were revved up and right in the faces of the beleaguered Gunners. Carlos Tevez was rewarded for his match-changing second-half display against Tottenham at the weekend with a place in the starting line-up – and he played like he had a statement to make....More

Best goal I have ever scored

It was, the disarmingly modest Cristiano Ronaldo said with a smile, a "fantastic goal, truly fantastic, the best I have scored". The Manchester United forward admitted he was already looking forward to watching on DVD the 40-yard strike which won his team last night's game at Porto. Sir Alex Ferguson described it as "magnificent" and "sensational" and admitted: "I would have to go a long way back in the memory bank to find another one like that."

He was equally effusive about Rio Ferdinand, identifying the defender's return from injury as the cornerstone for his team's first clean sheet in six games as they set up a semi-final against Arsenal. "The fact it's an all-British semi-final gives it a different type of spice," said Ferguson. "It's two good football teams and it should be a terrific encounter. We're already looking forward to it. It's a different situation to what we're used to because we haven't had a two-legged affair against Arsenal but we will look to win at Old Trafford, maybe a 1-0 win. It will not be easy but if we can win the home leg and then build on that for the second leg.

"The encouraging thing for us is that we have been leaking a lot of goals recently but now we have Ferdinand back we have got back to the position that got us here in the first place. We've got back to our foundation of not conceding goals. We had stability at the back tonight and we really restricted Porto to no real chances. I thought we controlled that part of the game really well."

United could now play Arsenal on four separate occasions in the final month of the season, twice in the Champions' League, once in the Premier League and, potentially, in the FA Cup Final.

"This win will give us confidence," said Ronaldo. "In the last five games we did not play great and I hope this will change that. It's going to be a fantastic semi-final. Arsenal play fantastic football and it will be a tough game. We know each other well, I just hope we win the tie and go to the final."

Ronaldo had played a more central position than usual and Ferguson was entitled to think his tactics had worked perfectly. "He's the quickest player we have and we felt in that role he would stretch their two center-halves. The goal was obviously sensational and he was always a threat, always willing to attack their defence. He's probably played better in a lot of games but he was isolated a lot of the time and yet his contribution was still very good. We wanted to start the game quickly, to show our intent that we wanted to win, but no one could have expected that kind of goal."

Reds marvel at Ronny's goal

United players were queuing up to praise Cristiano Ronaldo's wonder-goal after the sixth-minute strike secured a place in the Champions League semi-finals.

The Portuguese winger's rising right-foot rocket from long range (UEFA measured it at 39.6 yards) put the visitors in the driving seat by stunning the Porto players and supporters.

"It was an unbelievable strike," Michael Carrick told MUTV. "Just when we needed that spark and a bit of brilliance, Ronny's done it again."

Wayne Rooney enthused: "It was a wonderful goal from Cristiano to win us the game. It was brilliant and on such a big night for him too."

John O'Shea added: "The strike was sublime. He’s well capable of that and he nearly stuck another one in the bottom corner with a couple of minutes to go."

Ronaldo's goal was also heralded in both dug-outs. Porto's assistant coach Jose Gomes said his team could take heart from losing to such a shot: "We can be proud. We lost to the best team in the world, by a goal scored by the best player in the world."

Sir Alex Ferguson commented: "I’ll need to go into my memory bank to recall a better European Cup goal than that one. That was fantastic, a great, great strike. We wanted to show our intent but to get that sort of start, well, nobody can expect that sort of goal."

MU 1:0 Porto; Cris supergoal send MU through to semi-final

United will face Arsenal in an all-English Champions League semi-final, after the Reds became the first English team to beat Porto in the Estadio do Dragao.

It took something special: a quite breathtaking 40-yard strike from Cristiano Ronaldo which, allied to a first clean sheet in six games, took the holders into the final four. Indeed, it would have been the Reds' defensive resolve which would have pleased Sir Alex Ferguson most, as the return of Rio Ferdinand brought an assuredness to the champions and restricted the dangerous hosts to but a handful of opportunities.

Following last week's 2-2 first-leg draw, Porto went into the match with a crucial away-goal advantage. That was tellingly overturned inside six minutes of an imposing second encounter. Had Sir Alex been asked to draw a blueprint of his perfect start, it wouldn't have been too far removed from what actually transpired.....More